The Sands and Blood of Tyme
by Captain Tari Melwasul
Summary: Most of us knows the ending of Sweeney Todd. But what if he was offered a choice, one to be resurrected nearly 200 years later? And what happens when he thinks Mrs. Lovett is back as well?
1. Prologue

A/N I began this fanfic before I saw Sweeney Todd in theaters, but I liked the way it went. So if there's anything wrong, I beg a thousand pardons! And yes, I know I spelled time wrong. It was intentional!

Now that everything is as it should be...ladies and gentlemen...I give to you...The Sands (and Blood) of Tyme

Oh! Before I forget! Disclaimer: I do not own Sweeney Todd...or anything related to it (except the soundtrack!). Tim Burton and Stephen Sondheim do.

Prologue: A Choice

Blood was everywhere, in his eyes, his shirt, and his heart—

_Lucy, what have I done?_

He cradled her body, dead, cold, lifeless in his arms. They were together at last, but at a price he never thought he'd have to pay.

_I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!_

His cries were unheard, unspoken in his head. He looked at her face, Lucy's face, looking exactly as the day Johanna was born. Her hair was drenched red now, but in his eyes it was yellow, the most beautiful yellow in the world.

_How could I have been so blind?_

It had been her fault; Lovett's fault! She had lied to him, tricked him, all because she had faith that he would notice her if his Lucy was presumed dead. Now they both were.

_It was MY fault, not Lovett's. Mine._

The two women in the world that had loved him were gone, quicker than a flash. Only shadows of memories remained.

But that was soon changed.

**An offering I give,**

Said a voice.

He looked around, seeing nothing but red, crimson, Lucy's face, fire!

**A choice to live.**

The voice continued.

He craned his neck up, for the voice had come from above.

_Lucy, my Lucy, in ashes you truly lie!_

**A choice to see your Lucy again-**

_-alive again?_

**Yes.**

"There was a barber and his wife," he sang softly, "and she was beautiful. A foolish barber and his wife. She was his reason and his life. And she was beautiful, and she was virtuous, and he was-"

_Naive?_

A fiery pain whipped along his throat. It was a pain he had inflicted so many times-

_Toby, was it you?_

-on his victims. A pain he had often imagined its feeling, but this was-

_Isn't that my razor?_

-incomparable in actuality.

**What say you?**

And he was fading, everything turning a dull red, red, red, and maroon, and black-ish, and-

"Yes," he whispered, barely moving his lips, barely making a sound at all.

_For you, Lucy. To see you again._

And Benjamin Barker died, falling into the pool of blood he himself had created by his desire for revenge, no, his craving for revenge, next to his Lucy.


	2. Land of Clocks

Disclaimer: Don'cha think it'd be obvious if I owned Sweeney Todd, or any of the characters, for that matter? Same goes for the 'Epiphany' lyrics. As for the whole 'Land of Clocks', I've no idea whether its from a movie or any sort; I got the idea from a friend.

A/N Just so you know, the italics alone are always Sweeney's own thoughts. If there's italics with accomplanying words in normal, then it's another character's thinking. Just clearing that up!

Ch.1 The Land of Clocks

Sweeney Todd opened his eyes. All he could see was blackness, swirling blackness, and he felt dizzy. He began to panic; was he blind?

A flood of joy rose up in him, with excitement tingeing the edges---

_Why? What is this feeling for?_

---and he was spinning, twirling, he was dancing?!

_But why?_

The feelings of happiness continued to course through his veins, and he was still dancing, when all of a sudden, he was thrown roughly back---

_Just like Ms. Lovett!_

---and he was in pain, flickering pain---

_Like fire._

---He wasn't Sweeney Todd, he was Ms. Lovett during the end of her life!

_What?_

And then he was (still in the dark) in a chair, saying in an awestruck voice, "Benjamin Barker!?", only, it wasn't his voice.

_Turpin?_

And he was shouting at himself, repeating "Benjamin Barker" over and over again while stabbing…who?

_Me. I'm killing myself._

Sweeney squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again. The first thing he noticed was that he could see!

The second thing he noted was that there were clocks all around him. There were small wooden clocks and magnificent grandfathers clocks, all made of different woods, like pine, ash, oak, maple, all different colors, even if only slightly. And they were all ticking! (Well, most were. Some were chiming, and some would stop ticking and fade away.)

_Where am I?_

Sweeney rose to his feet (he had been sitting?) and began to walk around (on what? There was no ground, only white). There were an endless amount of clocks, all ticking, and he was getting the beginning of a headache.

He walked for however long he walked, since time didn't seem to be moving correctly in this place. He was getting worn out, but the ticking still continued, strong as it was when he arrived. "Is anyone here?" he finally called. To his immense surprise, his voice didn't carry at all! "Anyone?" he tried again. Neither sound nor reply came back to him, save for the ongoing ticking!

_Damn that ticking noise! How much longer can I take it?_

Sweeney was going crazy! The noise would not stop, and it echoed in his mind loudly! His temper rose to its peak. With a cry (unheard), he flicked out his razor and slashed at a clock, slitting its throat---

---only, he didn't have his razor. Instead, he used his fist. And clocks didn't have throats, either. So his hand slammed into the wood of a huge mahogany clock. Splinters flew through the air as the ticking of one clock stopped.

Sweeney withdrew his fist with a contented smirk on his pale face. The smirk only lasted for a few seconds before sliding back into a moping frown. With a sigh, Sweeney looked at the clock. A shimmer caught his eye. Looking closer, Sweeney saw that it was a bronze plate with a name engraved on it.

Thomas Pitcher

For some reason, the name stuck in his head. Over and over it came, taking the tune of the ticking. Eventually, he was humming, the steady ticking providing a beat, still walking towards nowhere.

Eventually, he came to a stop, his left foot pausing in mid air. He became aware of a silence.

_Thank goodness for that!_

There was no sound, no more ticking.

_Yet, why did the ticking stop?_

He stood there, alert to everything, for about ten minutes. Finally he took a step. Slowly, he placed one foot in front of the other, almost expecting a loud footstep to accompany. Nothing. Nothing after that. Still nothing.

His curiosity getting the better of him, Sweeney began studying the clocks. All of them were frozen, broken, he assumed. Each one had a bronze plate with a name carved in intricate letters. It was as if time stood still here. But it couldn't be---

_It feels like death in here._

--all the clocks had different times.

_Like each time is when—_

He stopped again, this time in front of a beautiful white ash clock. The name on its plate was somewhat hard to decipher, though. Sweeney squinted his eyes and lifted a long, pale finger to trace the letters. He made out a 'L', 'U', 'C', and 'Y', then a 'B', 'A', 'K', and 'R'. All the other letters were too faded.

_--a person died._

"Lucy…Baker?" he guessed, not making a sound at all, "Lucy…Barlaker? Lucy…Barker? Barker…Lucy Barker!"

_No. It can't be! Not Lucy!_

--A splitting pain, crimson pouring out quickly—

_Not MY Lucy! She's—_

The clock was frozen. The time on it read eight forty-seven. The exact moment she had…

_--dead._

…died.

The wood was no longer white and firm. Instead, it was red, like blood, and there were little dribbles of some substance dribbling down the sides. Sweeney held his hand up to touch it, but hesitated.

_What if it's some kind of trap?_

Shaking his head, Sweeney thrust his hand at the clock. It lingered there for only a second before being hastily drawn back. The wood was damp, and his hand was also red…

_---blood, HER blood!_

…red with blood running down his fingers like rivers, staining his white sleeves.

A sudden urge made him dare to look at the clock to the right of Lucy's clock.

Johanna Hope

It said.

_Johanna? __My__ Johanna? But her name…_

And it was frozen as well, signifying that his daughter was dead like Lucy.

_But he said that I'd see her again!_

Sweeney remembered the being that had spoken to him, the one who had said that he could come back, and that he'd see Lucy again. "He lied to me," he whispered coldly to himself.

With a roar, he turned. As he had expected, his own clock was on the other side of Lucy's. It was black, and instead of a bronze plate, it was silver, with

Benjamin Barker

Engraved on it.

All his emotions rose up in a conflicting fury. With another shout, he began attacking any clocks near his, including Lucy's and Johanna's, with his razor (but I thought the razor was gone). Soon, the clocks all lay on the floor, blood (blood?) pouring from their sliced skin (but clocks don't have skin!)

Finally, he faced his own clock. A strange consciousness guided his hand to the hands of the clock,

_Not one man_

And he knew that he was dead,

_No, nor ten men_

But not for long.

_Nor a hundred_

He moved the hands forward onto the time ten thirty. Somehow, he knew that by doing this, he could

_Can assuage me._

go back and resume his old job.

_I will have you!_

The clock chimed, its sound echoing.

"Soon, very soon, they who feared me will be doomed and shall hear the name of Sweeney Todd once more!" he shouted, his voice echoing along with the hollow chiming.

Wow...all that ticking reminds me of Potter Puppet Pals...oh no...EARWORM! MUST GO WATCH NOW!


	3. 300 Years Later

Okay! Here's another chapter for you who actually take the time to read this! I like this one...but my fave has yet to come! Onwards, I says!

Disclaimer: I OWN SWEENEY! YAY! Muse: No you don't...Me:coughs Fine...I DON'T own Sweeney...curse my muse who must ruin my fangirl dreams...

Ch. 2 Almost 300 Years Later

The rain continued to barrel down in London. Various people were running home with raincoats on or umbrellas over their heads. One woman with a checkered coat buttoned tightly called for a taxi. Another woman, with who was presumed to be her husband, was shaking her umbrella off before entering a restaurant.

Way out of the town, a couple miles or so, was a graveyard. Surrounding said graveyard was a black fence with flying birds carved out of the top, their beaks pointing towards the sky sharply. The graveyard was worn and ancient, having been there for over three hundred years. Many of the graves there were undistinguishable, the inscriptions weathered away by rains such as the one occurring. Moss covered the few remaining letters. There were only three fresh graves there, but they had been there for almost two years (that was fresh considering the dates on the other tombstones).

In the center of this graveyard was a rough square grave. It had been a gray marble when first inserted, but was now an ugly green. If someone had dared to translate the name on it, they would have been sorely disappointed, for all that could be made out was a 'B' and an 'R'.

Nearly three hundred years ago, when the grave was clean, the name had read _'Benjamin Barker'_ with an inscription underneath, saying,

_A loving husband and father to those who knew him._

_A man who polished off many before himself._

Now, one could say that the inscription was an odd one, at the most. But to those who found themselves fascinated with horror, it meant an important fact: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street had been a real person. Of course, this would only apply to those who correctly interpreted the meaning of the line, for in between the words were a melancholy tale that could frighten even the most intellectual of men.

It was at this very grave that something impossible happened: a hand, a human hand, rose up out of the muddy ground and grasped vainly at the air. Another hand soon followed, and together the hands grabbed the grave marker and pulled. A black head rose out of the dirt, followed by a torso. The head took in long, deep breaths, as if the being had been claustrophobic. Eventually, the person gave up pulling its self out and just laid there on the cold ground, rain battering the parts of the body that was out. Soon it became obvious that the person was a man, since the rain was washing away all the dirt on his face. His skin was exceptionally pale, making him stick out in the darkness like a ghost.

Time passed, how much, the man didn't know or care. He took another deep breath and attempted to pull himself free again. This time, the mud gave way some more, and he managed to get out up to his knees before pausing. Every now and then, lightning would illuminate the graveyard, giving the man a hellish appearance to any who happened by. (However, if anyone did pass by, they did so quickly and unnoticing.) Tired, the man decided to study his surroundings before trying to break free. He traced over the name on the gravestone he held on to, finding the 'B' and 'R'. Then he traced underneath, the words forming mentally in his head. He smirked when he read the last sentence, and suddenly he was blinded!

He blinked. There was a moving light aimed at him directly!

_Moving? Why would a light be moving?_

The oddest thing about said light was that…there didn't seem to be a person carrying it. It was moving of its own accord, and there were actually two of them! The lights came closer, and too quickly, too.

_Are they moving towards me?_

The man groaned weakly, and tried to get out of the muddy grave again. The mud refused to yield its hold on his legs, and he remained there, trapped, as the lights came closer still. Finally, they were right in front of him.

Thunder crashed. Another man came from behind the lights. There was the sound of a slammed door. "What do we have here?" the man asked himself. His name was Matthew Barote, and he had been driving on this road when the flash of lightning had shown him a man in the old Zimmer Graveyard. At first, he had dismissed the image as paranoia, a figment of his imagination from all the scary movies he watched. But as he dared closer, he saw that he was mistaken. There was a person there, and he looked stuck.

Matthew walked closer to the man, umbrella in hand. "Need help?" he shouted over the howling wind.

The man nodded slowly and looked at him intently. Matthew couldn't help but feel a shudder as those haunting black eyes stared at him.

"Well, then, give me your hand." The man obliged. Matthew grabbed the extended arm and yanked as hard as he could. Fortunately, the man had loosened the mud enough to be pulled free; he had just been too weak to do it himself. "There we go!" He turned to the man. "Now where do you need to be?"

The man stood there, rainwater dripping off him in the black night, making him seemingly dripping blood. Matthew shook his head; he was imagining things again!

"Well?"

Still no reply. "Okay then," Matthew began, "How's about I take you to my place, and you can…recover from your…ordeal. That okay?"

The man looked at him before nodding his head faintly. In fact, if Matthew hadn't been staring harshly, he would've never noticed it. "Okay. Let's just…" he tugged the man gently to his car, "getcha over here. Sit down there…and…There! Buckle up, and I'll take you to a temporary home! Deal?"

He received no answer, but he wasn't expecting one anyway. Matthew got into the driver's seat and clicked his seatbelt. The stranger was in the backseat, silent as an owl.

"What's your name, mister?" Matthew asked as he gunned the engine.

He didn't get a reply, although—

_Where am I?_

--he could've sworn he heard an answer.

"Sweeney…Sweeney Todd."


	4. No Place Like London

Hi! It's me again! Hooray for snow days! Stuck inside all day, no school, grey everywhere-a perfect typing atmosphere! HEre's another chapter for you actual readers out there! Bonus points for those who notice the extra Sweeney reference! (hint: it's something to do with the musican)

Disclaimer: Repeat after me: I do not own Sweeney Todd...or airplanes, for that matter. I only own Evy and Holly...so far.

Ch. 3 No Place Like London

"As if!" a female voice scoffed easily. "What about all those murders that happened on Fleet Street? The ones from, what, 300 years ago?"

"Holly, you are my best friend," another female voice said, "but even for a blonde, you are incredibly…stupid! Honestly!" The owner of the voice smacked her friend on the back of the head. "You said it yourself! It happened three hundred years ago!" The girl leaned back against her seat. "Geez!"

"Well sor-ry," Holly Shawn replied, stressing the syllables, "but I am scared to death that I'm gonna die out of my natural continent! I just know that I'm gonna be murdered in an unknown place, namely London, by a serial killer or something!" She glared daggers at her friend. "You might not be as freaked as I am, Evelyn Cassidy, but I guarantee that by the time this trip is over, you'll…you'll…" she drifted off.

"What?" Evelyn (nicknamed Evy) challenged. "I'll what? Be scarred for life? What are the chances? Besides, we'll be there in about thirty minutes. If you didn't want to come, you should've said so before we got our tickets for the flight."

"I DID!" Holly protested. "But did you listen? Do you ever listen? No! Lil' Miss Spooky here wanted to come, have a ball, meet the queen, and maybe find a hot English guy. At this rate, I think I'd rather be in Hawaii, with everyone else we know." She threw her hands up in the air in mock exasperation. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you, Evy. Out of all the places we coulda gone, why did you choose England instead of…Hawaii! Or California! Why did you want so badly to come to London?"

Evy turned to the window, her dark red hair covering her face. "Because my great-great grandmother was born here," she muttered as a response.

Holly smiled meekly. Ever since the Family Tree project at the end of high school, Evy had become obsessed with her family tree and history. It was kind of ridiculous, but Evy's determination made her admirable in Holly's eyes, if not a bit…crazy.

Evy stared out the window at the single blanket of clouds that covered the sky, fingering a golden locket around her neck. _Such a bleary day,_ she thought. _I wonder if it was ever this bleak when my great-great grandma lived here._ Slowly, she began humming absentmindedly. It was a tune passed down in her family, one that she had always loved. "Nothing's gonna harm you, not while I'm around," she half-sang. Soon her own humming had lured her to sleep.

"Attention, all passengers: we have landed in London. Please collect all baggage as soon as you enter the airport, and be sure to gather all personal belongings. Thank you for flying Sondheim Airlines."

Evy's eyes snapped open at the harsh metallic voice of the intercom. Realizing what had been said, she began to get all her books on London that she had brought along. When she held them in her arms, she took one final glance out the window. People were everywhere! _Like a colony of ants._

"Mmm?" Holly mumbled, stirring slightly. She, too, had taken the final moments of the flight to rest.

"Wakey-wakey, Hollywood," Evy nudged her with her elbow.

"Gaghhh…" Holly replied, rubbing her eyes. "Are we there yet?"

Evy grinned. "Yes, we are! Now move it! We're the last ones on the plane! And I really don't want to accidentally take a flight back to America."

Holly looked at Evy and smiled back. _Well, what's done is done,_ she thought to herself before Evy's elbow dug into her ribs.

The next thing the twosome knew they were waiting together for a cab. When one arrived, they threw their luggage in the trunk, got in the back, and set off for their hotel.

Sorry if it's kind of short, but I needed to introduce these two girls. Go ahead and review, seeing as how I forgot to add this to the previous chapters!


	5. Awakening Memories

Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! They made me so happy when I read them (especially when you add to the fact that the music I was listening to came to a magnificent crescendo at the same time)! Actually, those reviews are the reason why I'm going ahead and posting an update (I'm just soo hyper!)! This chapter focuses on Sweeney.

Disclaimer: Why do they make us repeat the horrible news over and over? No...I (sadly) do noy own Sweeney Todd. I DO however own Matthew! smiles Anyway, on with the story already!

Ch. 4 Awakening Memories

Not too far from where Evy and Holly were staying, Sweeney Todd opened his eyes.

Quickly, he shut them.

_Where am I?_

A blinding white light had peeked at him, blinding him momentarily. Gingerly, he opened his eyes again.

The light was gone. In its place was dull grey sunlight, darkening the room rather than lighting it.

"You're up!" a cheery voice said.

Sweeney turned sharply, his neck cracking. "Who are you?" he demanded, his onyx eyes glaring at the young man.

The man frowned. "Matthew. Remember? Last night during that storm? You were stuck in the graveyard?"

Sweeney opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Matthew didn't notice and continued to talk.

"—Mind you, why the hell were you even there all alone? It was rainy all day!" Matthew gave him an odd look. "How the hell'd you even get stuck in there in the first place? Were you rising from the grave or somethin'?" His eyes grew wide as he realized what he had said. "You a ghost?" he asked slowly, remembering all the Stephen King books he had read in the past.

Sweeney ignored Matthew's inquiry and studied the room.

_Last thing I remember is—_

It was small, with a medium black box on top a dresser as the main furniture, aside from the bed he was currently in. Books were scattered about, all opened with papers surrounding them.

_---blood, and lots of it…_

He yanked the quilt covering him off and stood. But it was only for a few seconds before he fell back onto the bed with a gasp. "My legs," he half-spoke, "I can't feel them at all." There was a strange calmness about the way he spoke.

Matthew noticed the calmness and felt himself get worried. "Yeah, I'd say you need to rest a little. Your legs were stuck in that mud for a while, and they're, well, unused to walking."

Sweeney stood again, the numbness in his legs astounding. This time, he held onto the bed to prevent himself from falling. "I can't waste time! I need to---,"

---What did he need to do?

A clock chimed down the hallway of Matthew's apartment. A spark of remembrance ignited Sweeney's memory.

_…all those clocks! And the white one, the one that said---_

"It can't be," he whispered to himself.

_---Lucy Barker. She's dead! But didn't that---_

He remembered the land of clocks and how he had smashed several, and then had turned to his own, but hadn't it been—

_--voice promise I'd see her again? Didn't he---_

---frozen, meaning he, like all the other names on the clocks, was dead? Then how was he here?

_---promise that we'd come back? I have!_

But he remembered winding up the clock and turning it one. It had chimed loudly, and he remembered no more save for the graveyard.

_But then where's Lucy?_

Sweeney stumbled out the room, Matthew following to make sure he didn't hurt himself.

"Mr. Todd?" he asked hesitantly. Sweeney didn't respond. "Mr. Todd?" he called again, louder.

Sweeney glanced at him, briefly reminded of another young man who had spoken to him in the same way. "What?" he snapped coldly.

Matthew froze. "Umm, well, do you have a home?"

Sweeney thought back.

_Yes, on Fleet Street._

"What year is it?" he asked in a whisper.

Matthew leaned closer. "What?"

"The year. What year is it?"

"Why, 2008! What else would it be?" Matthew laughed nervously.

Sweeney fell, his legs no longer able to support him.

_2008? Almost three hundred years later!_

"And what month?"

"Late January."

_January? 2008? No! It cannot be! _

"And we are where?"

"L-London, of course!"

_London…My home…Lucy! Lucy must be here! I must find her_!

Sweeney forced himself up and made for the door, but fell again. Matthew ran to help him, but was shunned coldly away. "I don't need help," Sweeney snarled, anger flooding his veins. Matthew ignored him and grabbed his shoulder. Sweeney pulled out his razor and slashed at Matthew, but he didn't have his razor…

"Mr. Todd, please!" Matthew shouted. To his surprise, Sweeney fell limp. He's fainted! Matthew realized. He must be weak, still.

Without any hesitation, Matthew dragged Sweeney back to the bedroom and threw him on the bed. After that was done, he shut the door and went to his couch, where he fell instantly asleep.

Hope you liked it! R&R please!


	6. Home Again

Finally, a long chapter! I've been so happy and energetic after reading the reviews I've gotten! They make me so...HAPPY! smiles

Anyways...Disclaimer: sighs I never have owned Sweeney Todd, and never will own Sweeney Todd...(or will I? evil grin) I also don't own Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. I'm just borrowing a scene to illastrate a point. However, I DO own Evy and Holly. And Matthew. Though you can probably guess who he's based on.

Ch. 5 Home Again

Two girls walked by the apartment building, chattering loudly about the latest CDs. A man walking a brown dog stopped to glance at the house, then continued on his way. Cars drove by, but there were few. If anyone had paid attention to their surroundings, they'd notice a man staring out one of the windows. If one looked closely enough, they'd see a streak of white in his dark hair. But of course, no one really cared, though it would've been better for them if **someone** had bothered to take note of him.

The man was Sweeney Todd, of course, and he had been brooding.

_I must find Lucy. _

He had been at the window, staring into space as cars drove by, for two hours, when he had woken up and found that he could walk normally again.

_I need to go back._

The street he was currently on branched off to multiple streets, no doubt a newer addition done by the passage of time. If one of those streets happened to be Fleet Street…

_She's there, I know it!_

…then maybe all he had to do was…

_I'm going there!_

…take a walk.

Sweeney glanced at the door, where loud snores were coming through.

_Matthew is asleep. Now is the opportune moment._

He moved swiftly and silently, one moment being at the window and the next out of the room. Matthew shifted on the couch (as it was called) and the snores ceased for a moment. Sweeney froze, his hand on the doorknob. There was a soft grunting sound, and the snores began again. With a frown, he opened the door and slipped outside onto the deck. Taking no notice of his own surroundings, he walked down the two flights of stairs (there was an elevator, but he had never heard of one, let alone use it!).

_Finally!_

With a curious eye, he began memorizing the area he was in. It looked vaguely familiar, save for the strange vehicles moving up and down the road. After a few minutes of racking his memories, it clicked! This was one of the streets that joined at Fleet Street!

_Lucy, I'm coming home!_

In a daze, Sweeney followed his mental map of the area and crossed the road. A few of the strange vehicles honked at him, and one driver flipped up his middle finger before driving on. However, Sweeney ignored everything save for his image of his destination. Soon, he was jogging slightly, pressed on by his emotions. After jogging to the intersection that turned to Fleet Street, he could no longer contain his anxiety. He broke into a furious run, one that could've rivaled a pursued doe at the moment.

_I'm coming home!_

One single thought repeated in his head, matching his heartbeat evenly.

_I'M COMING HOME!_

And he could see it, the broken down shop of Ms. Lovett's and his! His legs surged forward with new energy. It was a wonder he didn't knock into anybody, for the sidewalks were crowded, even though it was sparser here.

And then he fell. Quickly, adrenaline lining his veins, he got up and continued.

"Who was that?" a girl asked her red-headed friend who was sitting on the ground.

"Dunno. He seemed to be in a pretty damn hurry, though." The red-head got up. "Idiot knocked me down and didn't bother to apologize."

"Ah, well, at least he didn't land on you."

The red-head glared at her friend. "Shut up," she muttered. "Seriously, he was going pretty fast. Like Will did on that episode of 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'."

The other girl stared blankly, her blonde hair gently blowing in the wind. "Say what?"

"HOLLY! We just watched that episode before taking this walk! The one where he did that magic trick with the $20? He ran off? Remember?"

Holly continued to stare blankly at Evy (for it was in fact the very same girls from earlier!) until something clicked. "OH! Yeah, I remember that!"

Evy slapped her forehead. "Sometimes I wonder," she said to herself, but loudly enough for Holly to hear. It was then that a spark of silver caught her eye. It was a silver key! Gingerly, she bent over and picked it up.

"What is that?" Holly asked.

"I have no idea whatsoever. What does it look like to you?"

"A key!" Evy smacked Holly on the back of her head.

"NO DUH!"

"Well, sor-ry! I was distracted by…something…"

"Yeah, whatever. C'mon." Evy began to follow the man who had bumped into her.

Holly stood there before moving to follow. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"Hmm, I find a key right after a stranger bumps into me. I wonder where the key came from?" Every word was laced with sarcasm.

Holly, oblivious to the sarcasm, thought for a moment before responding, "Maybe the man dropped it!"

_No duh, Holly,_ Evy thought. "Noooo…I thought that the _other_ guy who knocked me over dropped it!" Holly didn't reply this time, but rather followed.

Meanwhile, unaware of the two girls chasing him, Sweeney Todd had finally gotten to his shop. He stood in front of it, allowing his emotions to blossom for once and a smile graced his pale face.

_I've come home again._

With a sigh, he rushed up the stairs leading to his shop. The door was old and closed, but he easily kicked it open. Eagerly, he ran inside and shouted---

_LUCY! I'M HERE!_

---"Lucy! I've come home again!"

He waited for a reply, for the angelic voice to answer him, but nothing happened. "Lucy! It's me! Benjamin!" Still nothing. The adrenaline was fading now.

_Where is she? He promised she'd be here!_

With an angry roar, he stomped down to the pie shop below. The door was locked, but all he had to do was go back into his shop and go down those stairs. The area was dark, and for a second he could've sworn he heard a faint voice singing, "No denying times is hard, sir. Even harder than the worst pies in London. Only lard and nothing more-is that just revolting? All greasy and gritty. It looks like its molting, and tastes like…we'll pity…"

There was a loud knock.

_Who could that be?_

There was another knock, one that echoed through the empty room. Sweeney ignored it, his anger taking over. Whoever was knocking must've left, because for the next few moments there was no sound. Then he heard the footsteps and voices.

"---I don't think anyone's home, Evy," a female said, her voice muffled by the walls.

"So? Can't hurt to check, now, can it?" another voice replied. The voices were accented slightly, but from where could the girls be?

There was a knock from upstairs. Sweeney turned towards his shop and was there. His hand closed around the doorknob, and he was about to jerk it open, when---

A CLIFFHANGER! I am so evil! So, hurry up and review to get another chapter! smiles


	7. A Vengeance Renewed

I'm sorry this took a while to get up! I've been posting a chapter every time I type up a separate chapter on my computer, and I've gotten brain-dead...sigh (So far, I've got three more chapters after this one typed up.) Anyways, enough of my babble---to the story we shall go! (And thanks to everyone who reviewed-you always put a smile on my face!)

Disclaimer: Honestly, people...How could I own Sweeney Todd? He'd kill me if I did!

Ch.6 A Vengeance Renewed

There was a tremendous thud inside the presumably empty shop. Evy's head snapped up from the key's silvery gleam. "What was that?" she whispered to Holly, who shrugged. With a frustrated groan, she put her ear to the door, Holly following suit. There was a muffled cursing, then silence.

Holly leaned back. "Come on, Evy. There's…nobody home, obviously," she said, doubt and fear in her tone. Evy ignored her and kept her ear against the door, praying silently for another sound to prove it hadn't been imagined.

The two girls stood there for almost half an hour, not once moving, until Evy finally straightened. "Let's go," she muttered to Holly coolly. Holly opened her mouth to respond, but appeared to have thought better of it, for she closed her mouth. _Good,_ Evy thought. _I really don't want to deal with her comments right now._

With a sigh, she began down the stairs. Holly started to follow, but hesitated for the briefest of moments and glanced back at the door. Was it just her, or was the door open a crack? She blinked, and the door was as closed as before. Startled, Holly stumbled down the stairs after Evy.

Had she bothered to continue studying the door for only a few seconds more, she might have seen the door open slightly. Then again, maybe she wouldn't have noticed. Nothing can be said for sure, however, for she left when she did, and afterwards the door opened.

Onyx eyes peered out, confirming what Sweeney's ears had heard.

_They've left._

The two girls had indeed finally left. With a relieved sigh, Sweeney slid the door shut again. He had been looking out the keyhole the entire time, quiet as an owl (aside from the cursing of earlier, of course), barely breathing, in fact.

_Who were they? One looked almost exactly like…_

He strode over to the window, where brownish splotches stained the glass. Memories long gone began to reply in his head, but he shunned them, not wanting to go through it all again. Instead he focused on the two girls, who had ended up just outside the shop (in the view of the window). They seemed to be arguing with each other.

_…no. There's no way, in Heaven __**or**__ Hell, that __**she's **__here, too!_

Indeed, the two girls were arguing. Holly had made a comment, once they'd gotten to the front of the shop, about how Evy was going a bit loopy, and it was only their first day in London. Evy was denying it, saying she was bound by curiosity to investigate the shop since the stranger had knocked her down. Suddenly, while Holly said something about, "Who cares? He was just a stranger! It's not like he stole your wallet or anything, for crying out loud," Evy looked up at the window, directly at Sweeney. Her eyes widened, and she faced Holly shortly and grabbed her arm. "What?" Evy pointed. Holly followed her finger, but there was nothing there. "What?" she asked again, this time louder.

Evy looked back at the window. There was no one there! "But I saw him! The same person! He was in the window!" she said rather panicky. Holly rolled her eyes.

"No one's there, Evy! All this grey and gloom is getting to you!"

"B-b-but-,"

"SHUT UP! NOT ANOTHER WORD!" Holly exploded.

Sweeney watched the two with a strange pleasure. He'd made many mistakes since coming back, one of them being the cursing of earlier. The other had been letting the redhead see him, but that had been easily remedied, no matter if her friend thought her mad.

_She looks so much like her, I'm glad she's suffering!_

The cursing had happened by pure chance. It was Sweeney's fault that he had made such a loud noise, and he had cursed himself for his stupidity. What had happened was that he'd accidentally stepped on the picture frames, the ones containing the pictures of his Lucy and his Johanna (as a baby). For some reason, he'd slipped on it, and fallen to the wooden floor with a loud crash!

Sweeney chuckled.

_Damn you, Nellie Lovett! Of course you'd of all people find a way back to haunt me!_

A feeling of intense hatred surged through him immediately upon thinking of her, the one who'd lied to him for her own needs! She, who'd said that Lucy was long gone! She, who'd tried to get him to love her, as if he was a human! But he wasn't, and he'd danced her to her death! But here she was again, the redhead girl! Instead of Lucy, this is what he'd gotten!

_NO! Not now, not then, not EVER again!_

Sweeney grabbed the picture frame, the one of Lucy and Johanna, and with a yell, threw it out the window, at the image of Nellie Lovett down below.

Evy snapped up at the sound. Something small and dark was headed right at her head, sparkles of what seemed to be glass accompanying it. The glass both dazzled and distracted her, drowning out the sounds of Holly's screams.

_How pretty_, she found herself thinking…then…_Ow…that hurts…_She heard Holly gasp from far off. _But Holly doesn't gasp like that; she squeals_. And her eyesight…_why is everything going red?_ Then everything, while still red, began to go black.

Sweeney watched as the girl fell to the ground, anger still controlling his thoughts.

_She deserves it, the filthy liar!_

He could see blood trickling down her face, blending in with her messy red hair perfectly. A smile dared to grace his features, and if Holly had looked at the window, she'd have seen that her friend was telling the truth. But it wasn't Holly who looked; it was Evy. And when she saw the pale man with raven hair and a smile on his face, she fainted, Holly kneeling down besides her.

_For you, Lucy. I'm doing this for you, and Johanna._

Hope y'all like it! Seems to me that Sweeney's going a bit...hallucination-compulsive...Read and review, please!


	8. Some Luck at Last

OMG! I am so sorry I haven't updated recently! I've been busy with a Science Fair and band festivals...Forgive me, I beg of you!

I am actually going to go ahead and answer some of those reviewer questions!

**Marzi**-No! I always feel more sorry for the bad guys in stories and movies! I argue their cases by saying that they're just...'misunderstood'.

**ktkitty4**-No, nobody got killed...yet..._shifty eyes_...

Disclaimer:...No. I don't own Sweeney Todd...otherwise he wouldn't have died in the end...

A/N: This opens with a dream, in case anyone gets confused or whatnot. This chapter also has no Sweeney, but never fear! He shall return!

Ch.8 Some Luck at Last

_**A body on the ground. Countless others surrounding it. All dead. Pools of blood merged into an ocean. A face came up in the reflection, a girl's. She had thin blonde hair with traces of red in it, and brown eyes. Her skin was pale (like her father's) and she stared back at someone (a girl) completely different, someone with curly reddish hair and dark circles under her eyes. The actual person laughed, and stuck her hand in the blood, rippling it, causing the blonde to disappear. 'No, no, please!' the reflection seemed to mouth as it faded. Another short laugh came from the person, whoever she was---**_

Evy woke with a start, sweat beading her skin. Her hands let go of the picture case, and it clattered to the ground, making her look around in fright. When she was sure that there was nothing there, she sighed. _Maybe Holly was right. Maybe it was a bad idea to come here of all places._ "No! I came to find out more about myself! And I'm not leaving until I do!" she replied to herself. _But look at all the bad signs: seeing ghosts, getting attacked by glass and old photos, nightmares---_"Go away," she whispered to herself. _No. You know why? Because I'm the only thing keeping you sane_, the voice in her head said. "Go! Away, I say! Away! I'd rather be insane than have to deal with an inner conscience that never shuts up." _Fine. If that's what you want, then that's what you'll get. But I warn you, this won't turn out well._ "Will you just leave me alone?"

"But I'm so adorable!"" a warm male voice replied. It was her doctor, Dr. Snyder. He had entered the room to check on his patient. "Who you talking to, since we all know it wasn't me?"

"No one!" Evy replied, blushing slightly. There was a short silence while he checked her pulse and bandages. "So, can I go home now?"

"Ahh, why not?" Dr. Snyder smiled. "You're healthy; no tetanus development from the glass. You're free."

Evy grinned. "Great. Now can I have my regular clothes back? This hospital gown feels…weird…" She laughed, as did Dr. Snyder, his sandy hair tossing from side to side. Still laughing, he left the room, only to return a few minutes later, her clothes from the day before all cleaned up.

"Here you go. I'll go sign you out while you change." He left again.

Evy let loose a groan once he left and began putting her clothes on. Her head felt fine, but that dream was repeating over and over in her mind's eye, the laugher seeming to get louder and louder with each round. _Who is she?_ she found herself wondering. _The blonde. She seems so familiar, but why?_ There was no reply from the other voice. "Good! Not that I expected anything! I mean, I'm only talking to myself and arguing with an imaginary voice, who won't tell me anything at all! Besides, it's perfectly normal for a girl to talk to herself." She pulled her shirt on. "I'm doing it again, aren't I?" she asked nobody in particular. Her voice echoed slightly in the beige room, sounding like "---doing it again, ---doing it again."

There was a knock. "Are you decent?" Dr. Snyder's voice called.

Evy pulled her jeans on quickly before answering, "Yeah!"

"You can leave now!" he told her, the door still shut. She opened it to find him gone. There were, however, daisies and gillyflowers in a small vase at the foot of the door. A smile dared to grace her features. Wait! There was a card! She bent over and plucked it off a daisy. 'Dinner tonight at 6?' it read.

Evy looked around. There, at the corner, was Dr. Snyder, smiling at her with straight, white teeth. His blue eyes twinkled when she smiled back and nodded. He already had gotten her address from her friend named…Holly! Yes, that was it.

_I don't believe it! Only one day in London and I already have a date! How'll Holly react to this, I wonder?_ "Probably was the one who gave him the idea for a date in the first place," she muttered to herself. Her cheeks slightly pink, Evy exited the hospital and headed towards the hotel, seeing as how it wasn't too far away. _Besides, a bit of fresh air will do me good._

The wind picked up slightly, barely noticeable. The air wasn't warm, but it wasn't chilly either. As usual in gloomy London, wispy clouds blocked the sun, casting a grey light everywhere.

Evy continued to walk, her thoughts focusing on her 'date' later on. Dr. Snyder was a nice man, maybe 20 or 21. He had sandy brown hair, and blue eyes that glittered. His smile was gentle, and his touch was as well. He had pale skin, but then again, almost everyone in the area did. When he spoke, it reminded her of the seaside, with waves crashing slowly onto the beach (and she'd know; she lived by the beach in North Carolina.). All in all, he was a good man (especially seeing as how he'd given her flowers).

Buried deep in her thoughts while walking, she accidentally crossed the busy streets a few times without checking the roads (earning several honks and once a rude gesture from angry drivers). She might've walked straight past the hotel, except her left shoelace had come undone, and she ended up tripping on it. With an inward groan, Evy retied her shoe and looked up. Surprise marred her face when she saw the hotel right in front of her.

"You're back!" Holly's high voice shouted. Evy couldn't help but grin at her friend's happiness. "I was about to come visit you!"

"Really? And are those flowers for me?" She indicated the two pink roses Holly had tried to hide behind her back.

Holly laughed. "How'd you know?" she asked.

Evy didn't reply, only took the flowers and placed them inside the vase, along with the others. Holly's eyes widened when she saw the vase.

"Where---?"

"Dr. Snyder gave them to me. Then asked me on a date," Evy answered before the question was even out of Holly's mouth.

"Are you going?"

Evy pretended to hesitate. "I don't know, I mean, seeing as how I'm crazy and all. Who knows? I might see another ghost and get another heavy object thrown at me."

Holly's smile faded. "I'm sorry about before, okay? It's just…you were obsessed with this place before we even came. Then you followed that one guy and said you saw him go into a **locked** shop and ended up in the hospital…It was too much for me. I'm not into that creepy stuff you are."

Evy couldn't resist a little torture. "Creepy? What's so creepy about my stuff?"

Holly's frown grew a little deeper. "Let's see…you have drawings of wells and rings and bright blue eyes all over your room, a gazillion depressing avatars saved onto your computer, at least two posters of skulls and roses and sharp objects…need I continue?"

Evy smiled. "For your information, the well-slash-rings-slash-eyes are from a movie, one you liked as much as I did!"

"Then had nightmares for a month. It's not natural for a sixteen-year-old to have to have a nightlight in her room, Evy!" But by then, Holly had realized that Evy was teasing her. "So, are you going on the date?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah," Evy admitted. The two continued to chat and went into the hotel room, planning Evy's 'big night' as they dubbed it. It was only ten in the morning.

Anyone catch yet another few references to the movie? Rum and cookies to those who did! Also, does anyone know what movie the rings/wells/bright blue eyes are from? If you do...well then...please review! If you don't...still reveiw!


	9. Ponderings and Plans

Forgive me again! I've been lazy...but here you go! An actual new chapter! Horray! And in this one, Sweeney must face the challenge of all challenges...getting a job! Hee-hee...

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own...only Evy, Jacob, Holly, Cody, and Jennifer.

Ch.9 Ponderings and Plans

Sweeney Todd walked stiffly down the road. There were people surrounding him from every side, and it made him feel uncomfortable. It was ten in the morning, and he was looking for a…job.

_I really don't like that boy._

It had been Matthew's idea for him to search for a job, in order to buy the judge's old home (as if he wanted to anyway).

"You need the money! Trust me, it'll be better than having to live with me," he'd said. "Do you have any talents, skills of any sort?"

"Shaving," had been the agitated barber's reply.

"Perfect! There's a new shop just around the corner that is in need of a barber! You should go there and apply."

"Do I really need---"

"And while you do that, I shall go shopping! Well, go on!" Matthew had ushered him (unusually quickly) out the door.

And that was how Sweeney had been tossed away from the window, where he'd already worn out part of the carpet by pacing.

_The boy is as annoying as Anthony sometimes. I wonder if he'd enjoy a shave._

It was thoughts like those that occupied him, so that when he finally reached his destination, there was a skeleton of a smile on his gaunt face. With a deep breath, he pushed the door open.

Two sounds greeted his ears: a broom sweeping, and people talking. He looked to his right. There was a woman (he was shocked to see) sweeping up hairs on the floor. On his left were four wooden chairs, where customers would wait their turn. And in front of him was a man talking to another man.

The first man was Cody Jones, and he was the owner of the fine establishment. He was talking to the only customer that had come so far. The man paid him, then strode past Sweeney and out the door.

Cody glanced over at Jennifer, the girl sweeping up the gray hairs that had been a beard on the customer.

Sweeney cleared his throat.

Cody almost fell over in shock. He turned from Jennifer and faced this new person. "Yes?" he asked, trying to sound smooth, but failing.

Sweeney raised an eyebrow. He opened his mouth to speak, but instead pointed to the 'Help Wanted' sigh on the desk. Cody's eyes widened. "Really?" he asked.

Sweeney nodded. Unexpectedly, Cody's hand caught his and began shaking it rapidly. "Thank goodness! We've needed another barber for the past month! There's been no luck; nobody wants to shave in London-not after what happened, what with this 'demon barber' business! You'd think after 300 years or so, people would forget, but no!" he continued to ramble on.

Sweeney tried to pull his hand out of the crazy (from his point of view) man's grasp, but to no avail. "Umm-," he tried to say, but the man cut him off and led him to another room, still babbling.

_Like she did on the day I came back._

Jennifer shook her head and grinned, watching Cody lead the man away. The poor soul had no idea what he'd gotten himself into. He'd be lucky to get a word in or two amidst Cody's habitual talking.

Sweeney shook his head at the same time, only he had a different reason.

_Must everything remind me of her?_

"---and anyway, whoever heard of eating people who were baked into pies? Nonsense, I tell you! Not a bit of its true, no sir not at all! Just our luck that folks still think he haunts London, so nobody comes. Nope, just me-name's Cody, by the way- and Jennifer out there, that's it in here. And since I'm the only shaver, we can't do multiple customers at a time, and since I only just learned shaving, I like to take my time, I do!"

Sweeney wanted, more than anything, to kill the man in front of him, but he couldn't. His razors weren't with him.

"So, you're here for the job, are you? Well then, I shall need to know your name! And where you're from! And whether you have any past jobs, or previous managers, you know what I mean. All the stuff that's not really important. So! Who are you?"

It took Sweeney a second to register that the man had finally shut up, and was looking intently at him. "Todd…Sweeney Todd," he managed to say.

"Funny, that's the name of the legendary barber. Hmm, guess your parents had a fondness for mythical names, am I right? And where're you from?"

"Here?"

"London? Okay then! Have you done this type of job before?"

"Yes."

"Good then! You're hired! Normally, I would have to ask more questions, but this is a bit of a desperate time for me, and desperate measures are called for!" Cody headed back out into the shop.

A ghost of a smile was on Sweeney's face as he recalled the very same words he'd spoken all those years ago.

Cody stuck his head back in. "You coming or not?"

Sweeney walked briskly out into the shop. There were two chairs, on either side of the room, for shaving. Lathering items were already placed on a shelf next to each chair, and a white cloak was hung up on a hook (for wiping the lather). "You'll get that one," Cody said, pointing to the chair on the left side of the room, towards the back. "There are razors on a shelf in the other room, as well as a bathroom and whatnot."

_It'll have to do. It may not be…home…but it'll have to do._

Sweeney nodded to show his understanding.

"Now, we just wait for a customer," Cody explained.

Sweeney sighed. This was going to be a long day.

So, who is Cody? Is Jennifer there for a reason or is she just a random person? Will Sweeney ever get to kill someone? Will Evy find out about her family? Will her date with Dr. Snyder turn out decent, in the least sense? Will Holly have any fun at all? Why am I asking you all this? (I dunno...) Read and review, please! More to come...hopefully...by...Friday! Yeah! I promise to update again by Friday! 'Kay? Okay then!


	10. Jacob Snyder

Here it is, as promised! Whoo-hoo! This chappie was...a bit of a...well, you'll see!

Ch.10 Jacob

By now, it was about five-thirty, and nobody had come. The shop had remained empty, save for the employees. Sure, people had passed by, but no one dared to come in. All in all, it was just like one day in Mrs. Lovett's Pie Emporium.

Sweeney sighed. He was bored. So bored, in fact, that he was twirling a razor absentmindedly around his fingers and actually thinking of _her_.

He remembered how impatient he'd been, and how she'd told him to wait. Actually, if he strained his ears, he could still hear her voice singing to him, crooning to him…

"Well, another day gone," Cody spoke at last. He'd been reading a book (while Jennifer toyed with an odd device called a 'cell phone' in this century) the entire time. "Time to close up."

A shadow passed in front of the store. With a tinkling bell, the door swung open, and a man entered the shop. "Hello?" he called.

The three employees looked up, different expressions on their faces. On Sweeney's, it was still boredom. On Jennifer's, it was an expression that showed she thought the customer was cute. And finally, on Cody's face, was a mixture of shock and joy. He immediately jumped up from the chair he had been sitting in and ran to the man.

"Hullo!" he said. "You here for a shave?"

The man nodded, his long sandy hair tossing a bit.

"Name?"

The man hesitated. "Jacob Snyder," he replied. "And I'm in a bit of a hurry---,"

"Nonsense! Just sit in the chair over there and we'll get started right away!" Cody sent the man to Sweeney's side of the shop. "Your first customer," he winked.

With yet another sigh, Sweeney rose from where he'd been sitting and went over to the chair. The man, Jacob, was sitting in the chair, worry written all over his face. "As I said, I'm in a hurry here---I've a date in thirty minutes, you see," he said to Cody, who laughed.

Sweeney was temporarily reminded of another instance where something like this had happened. With a bit of a smile on his face, he began humming as he lathered up Jacob's face, the lyrics playing in his head.

_Pretty women…pretty women…sitting in their window or standing on the stairs…something in them cheers the air…_

Jacob heard the humming and raised an eyebrow, clearly impatient.

The song continued to play as Sweeney weighed the razor in his hands. It wasn't the same as his, but it'd do. Still humming, Sweeney swept the razor against the man's exposed skin and shaved it easily.

Cody watched in awe. The man was **fast**! It'd only been maybe three minutes since the man had entered, and already he was almost done! And it'd taken him a full ten minutes to do a man, he remembered.

After another few seconds, Jacob was done. He reached up to feel his face and was shocked to feel no stubble there, none at all! And now, he had plenty of time to buy a small gift for Evy. He leapt out of his chair and hurriedly said, "Thank you so much!" before rushing out the door, leaving a $10 on the counter.

Both Jennifer and Cody stared after Jacob, obviously startled by his hurry. Sweeney, however, neatly wiped off the razor and put it up.

Cody turned to him. "You were excellent, my friend!" he almost shouted. "A $2 shave in less than five minutes! And he gave us a ten!"

Sweeney frowned, not really caring about the money. More than ever, he just wanted to visit his 'home' again.

Cody noticed the frown and assumed that the older man was just tired. "You can go if you want! It's closing time, anyway. Just be back here tomorrow before noon and I'll be happy!" He smiled.

Sweeney tried to return the smile, but found that he couldn't. Instead, he just left the shop and turned straight towards Fleet Street. "Blowing out their candles or combing out their hair," he sang softly, mentally hearing another, deeper voice singing along.

And that's that! Review please!


	11. The Key

I am updating once more! Yaysies!

**Marzi**-I excuse you. Don't you worry, pet...There shall be blood...I just need to type it up!

**andaere**-Thank 'ee for the comment! I've been frightened about whether Sweeney's in character, seeing as how the movie won't be out until April 1st.

Disclaimer: Nope...Don't own.

Ch.11 The Key

The clock chimed six. _Knock, knock!_

Holly was jerked up from her book. "Who is it?" she yelled sing-songy, already knowing what the answer would be.

"Jacob Snyder!" was the reply.

Holly laughed. "Ohhhh, EVY!" she called. "BOYFRIEND'S HERE!"

"HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!" Evy shouted back from the bathroom.

"Can I come in?" Jacob asked, on the other side of the conversation. 

Holly giggled before dropping her book and opening the door. "And how are you?" she asked.

Jacob smiled, having nothing better to do other than wonder why the woman was wearing pajamas so early in the evening. "I'm just fine. And you?"

"I'm more proud of Evy than anything right now. She was asked out several times at school, but always declined." Holly faked a tear. "It's so delightful that she prefers English boys to Americans. It's a wonderful moment."

"HOLLY!" Evy shouted in mock anger, emerging from the bathroom.

Jacob stared at her. She had on a red blouse with swirls of black as the design, and a medium black skirt that was just barely longer than her knees. Her hair was twisted up into two curly pigtail-like buns, with strands hanging out every now and then. She had on dark purple (almost black) eyeshadow, and a ruby-red lipstick. She was, simply put, beautiful.

Evy stared back at Jacob. He wore a navy long-sleeved shirt with black dress pants. His long sandy hair was neatly combed, and it was obvious he'd gotten a shave before coming over. She walked over to him and smiled. He smiled back, then seemed to remember something and quickly pulled out a small box of chocolates.

"It's really cheesy, I know, but I couldn't think of anything better to bring you," Jacob stuttered. To his surprise, Evy suddenly hugged him!

"Thanks," she whispered.

"You're welcome," he replied. 

There was a loud 'ahem' from Holly, who was twirling her blonde hair around her finger.

"Right," Evy said, clearly annoyed. "Shall we go?"

Jacob's heart nearly soared with happiness when she looked at him with her big brown eyes. "Yeah," was all he could say before escorting her out to the waiting taxi. Once they were in, he simply motioned to the driver, who nodded and began driving them.

"Where are we going?" Evy asked, confused.

All Jacob said in reply was, "It's a surprise."

There was an awkward silence between the two until the car stopped in front of an ornate restaurant. "We're here!" Jacob announced. Evy smiled, the butterflies in her stomach preventing her from speaking. Jacob opened the door, got out, helped Evy out, and then paid the driver.

Evy gaped at the restaurant; it was huge! And bright! And colorful! _It's such a complete opposite of general London. I'm surprised_.

Jacob saw her expression and grinned before taking her arm and leading her towards the doors. They'd almost reached the doors when someone shoved past them and ran the opposite direction, almost knocking Evy over in the process. "HEY!" he shouted, raising his fist a bit. The man ignored them and continued on. Jacob watched him disappear before turning to Evy. "You okay?" he asked. She didn't answer, just stared at the spot the man had come from. "Evy?" Still nothing. "Evy! Are you okay?"

Evy blinked. "Huh?" she asked, confused and dazed.

"Did he hurt you in any way?" Jacob asked her, worry in his voice.

Evy managed a small smile. "I'm fine," she muttered. Jacob nodded, and led her into the restaurant. They ate in peace, making small talk the entire time, but Evy's mind was on one thing: the man with the black hair and white streak. She was positive he was the one who'd thrown the picture case at her! While fidgeting around while Jacob talked about his job as a doctor, she frowned. There was a small bump poking her in her skirt. Tentatively, she reached down and felt in her hidden pocket. Her fingers found and grabbed something hard, metal perhaps? With a shock, Evy remembered the key.

However, Evy was not the only one thinking of that specific key.

_**Earlier**_: Sweeney Todd was in a rush. He wanted to go back to the old shop---no! He **needed** to! An uncontrollable urge was telling him what to do, pulling him in the direction of the shop. What the urge was, Sweeney didn't know (or care). All he knew was that if he didn't go to his home and search for his friends, he would strangle the next person he saw.

_I need to see them, to feel them, to make sure they still exist!_

He tore through the crowds, trying hard not to attract attention (but then again, how many people with black-and-white hair do you see running around?).

_I need them!_

The urge was at its peak! He ran around the corner and onto Fleet Street, almost tripping over the sidewalk in the process. There! The shop loomed in front of him!

_My friends…locked up for so long…_

He stumbled up the stairs and threw the door open with a loud thud! Instinctively, he turned to a wall, the one opposite the window. 

_…like me…but I'm back! And you're here; I know it!_

He raised his hand and pounded the wall. There was a hollow sound echoing beyond it.

Sweeney smiled, though it was a grim one. Breathing shallowly, he moved his fingers against the wall (almost caressing it) until he felt a slight ridge. While shouting in triumph on the inside, Sweeney kept a cool air on the outside (almost as if he expected a customer to come walking through the door, or maybe even Mrs. Lovett with a tray of food) and dug his nails into the ridge.

Suddenly, with an unexpected pop, a small section of the wall came out into his hands. Hastily, he tossed it aside and stuck a hand into the hole, feeling around.

_Where are they?_

Slight fear tingeing his consciousness, Sweeney continued to grope around, until-

_There!_

-he found what he was looking for. With a loud sigh, he pulled out a medium black box, dulled by the ages, but he could remember when it had been polished to a shine.

_A gift from Lucy, before I was forced away._

Impatient, Sweeney tried to open the box. Nothing happened. He raised an eyebrow.

_Why? Why doesn't it open?_

He turned the box around in his hands, until he caught a gleam of silver, somehow untainted, in the failing light of the day. 

_That's right-there was a key._

Setting the box down, Sweeney rose and felt his pockets. He was wearing the exact same outfit he'd worn on that fateful night, but Matthew had insisted on washing it since "mud and mold are partying on that thing like people at celebrity bashes!"

There was nothing in either of his pockets.

Well? Whaddoya think? Review please!


	12. An Obvious Realization

Oh my goodness...I'm on an updating roll (it's probably because I'll be gone for a little while, namely Friday, Saturday, and maybe Sunday.), and there are actually only two more TYPED-UP chappies after this. I need to write more. Okay, truthfully, this is a very short one. I just needed to get this set up for the next scene, and that's my excuse! 

**Marzi**-Yes, actually. At least, that's what I was going for.

Disclaimer: You know the drill...Let's just skip to the chappie, alright?

Ch.12 An Obvious Epiphany

At that point, Sweeney gave himself over to his frustration and rage. Roaring, he rushed out of the shop and down the stairs. Now he was outside, ignoring the odd looks of neighbors. 

_WHERE IS IT?_

Fervently pacing, he replayed the past few days over in his head, looking for any sort of clue as to the key's whereabouts.

He'd been resurrected. Matthew had rescued him. He'd fallen asleep in the moving vehicle. He'd woken up, realized where he was, then fainted. 

_There must be something! Surely, I've done something, bumped into a stranger, perhaps…_

Sweeney's eyes widened, making him seem like a desperate ghoul. 

_Her. The day I first came back here, to my home. I was in a hurry, thinking about Lucy, when I fell._

He'd gotten up fast, not caring about the stranger, only about Lucy.

_She must have it._

The girl had followed him to the shop and tried to investigate. Why would she do that, unless she had a reason?

_And what better reason than finding a key immediately after someone rams into her?_

It made perfect sense!

_I can't believe it took me this long to remember!_

A sneer crept across Sweeney's pale face. Even in the dark, passerby could see him and quickened their pace.

_I must hurry! I need to find her!_

Still pacing in the dulled streetlight, Sweeney tried to figure out exactly where the girl-

_Didn't her friend call her 'Evy'?_

-could be at this moment. He doubted she'd be an a place for her injury-

_Though she still deserved it!_

-for this long, after all, it had only been a photo case. Still, that was better than nothing. 

Sweeney sighed. He'd never liked infirmaries; they were too…different. They smelled of sick people, and never really had good service. In fact, he'd killed a man once because he mentioned that he loved visiting sick people in infirmaries (and he'd been about to let him go unscathed).

"Pardon me, sir," he asked a man passing by. The man paused, but not without making sure there were people surrounding them. "Where's the nearest infirmary?"

The man gave Sweeney a strange look. "You mean a hospital?" he asked. Sweeney nodded, not really sure what that meant. "Two blocks over, but it's probably closed!" he shouted after Sweeney, who'd taken off after 'two blocks over'.

That was when Evy and Jacob had been climbing up the stairs, heading into the restaurant.

Sweeney was, as always, in an impatient hurry, and was rushing about a bit hastily, when---

_I NEED TO FIND HER!_

---suddenly, he was pushing through several people---

_I NEED TO, NOW!_

---and then he was experiencing a sense of déjà vu, but why? He didn't know---

_NOW!_

---but then he was there, in front of the 'hospital' and he was raring to go in but something stopped him.

Sweeney Todd turned around. There, sitting all alone on a bench, was the blonde girl that had been with Evy.

**I've decided to bold these 'thingys' after chappies, since it probably makes it easier to understand. Anyways, did you like it? Review if you did! (even if it was maddenly short...) So, will Sweeney ever get his 'friends' back? Will he ever kill anyone? And what'll happen if Sweeney actually talks to Holly? Hmm...I'll let you dwell on that...**


	13. Don't I Know You Mister

Well, thanks to **andaere** I now know what these 'inserts' are, so please forgive my brainlessenss! Here is a longer chappie for those of you who are eager for more! After all, it is your reviews that make me happy, and a happy author tends tp type faster (it's true!)...Anyway, here you go!

Disclaimer: Must I? (sigh) Fine. Me no own. Burton and Sondhiem do own.

Ch.13 Don't I Know You, Mister?

Holly stared at all the people walking by. There was a woman and her beagle, a pair of guys chattering loudly, a boyfriend and girlfriend getting out of a taxi-

"My goodness, I'm getting desperate," she muttered to herself. It wasn't that she was jealous of Evy, she was just…"Who am I kidding? I'm jealous of her." She stretched out her legs onto the cold bench, causing goosebumps to rise. "I'm as jealous of her as…as…a dog without a chew toy." She then spent a moment conjuring several metaphors to try and cheer herself up. Needless to say, nothing worked.

A clock chimed seven.

Holly continued to stare at random people until she felt a cold hand on her shoulders. With a startled cry, she jerked away from the freezing touch.

"Excuse me," a male voice said softly. Holly turned to face the stranger. He seemed so familiar, what with his black and white hair and pale skin.

Holly's green eyes widened. "Wait a second…Don't I know you, mister? Yes, I do! You're the one who nearly killed Evy!"

Sweeney Todd flinched.

_She knows? But she didn't see anything!_

"I think you're mistaken," he said politely.

"No! I remember everything! We were taking a walk, when suddenly Evy was shoved to the ground! It was you, wasn't it?" Holly smiled triumphantly.

Sweeney let out an inward sigh of relief. For a moment there, he'd thought the girl was about to accuse him of the photo case incident. "I don't know," he lied smoothly, "but if it was me, I beg your indulgence. I was in a…hurry that day."

Holly stared at the man. His intense black eyes sent her a soulless look, one that gave her goosebumps (or were they already there?). Something about him made her suspicious, but why? Shrugging the feeling off, she continued to smile. "You're forgiven!" she said easily.

Sweeney forced a smile to his face as well. "But, I think I dropped something," he said, pretending to look a bit (or so he hoped) worried. The girl seemed to believe him, for she at least appeared interested. 

_Right where I want her._

"A silver key. Did you happen to find one?"

Holly thought for a second, and was about to reply, when Evy's voice, unusually high-pitched, came from nowhere. "Holly? What are you doing?"

Both Sweeney and Holly turned around, a look of apparent shock on their faces. "Evy?" they both asked in unison.

Evy glared at Sweeney. _That's the one! The one who tried to kill me!_ she thought. "Holly, what are you doing?" she asked icily.

Sweeney tried (and failed) to keep a particularly nasty glare from manifesting itself.

_Her_.

Holly glanced between Sweeney and Evy, then glanced at Jacob, who had just come up from behind Evy. "Talking," she replied innocently.

Jacob recognized the man as his barber from earlier, but didn't say anything. He figured that talking would make everything worse than it already was.

Evy continued to keep her eyes on Sweeney, never once wavering. "You know what I mean, Holly," she said in a deadly tone.

Holly gave no reply. Silence ensued, save for the random, everyday sounds of nighttime.

Sweeney just stared at Evy, hatred apparent in his onyx eyes.

_Kill her._

His fingers itched for a razor, but they were all locked away.

Out of the blue, Holly finally spoke. "Evy! Do you still have the key?" she piped up.

Evy tore her eyes from the man in front of her and faced her best friend. "What key?" she asked, echoing Holly's 'innocent' tone.

Holly smiled warily. "Come on, Evy, just because I'm a blonde doesn't mean I'm…not…smart---,"

"That would be stupid---," Evy muttered.

"---but both you and I know what 'key' I'm talking about. This is the same man who almost ran over you the other day, remember?"

_How could I forget? _Evy sighed. Holly continued on. "Well, that key was this guy's! So, just give it back to him already."

Sweeney continued to stare---

_Yes, give me the key._

---silently urging Evy to consent. To his surprise, she reached into a pocket hidden in her skirt and pulled out a silver key. With another heavy sigh, she tossed it to Sweeney, whose hand caught it quickly.

Holly took a few steps to Evy. "See? Wasn't that easy?" she said happily. Evy gave her the 'if looks could kill' stare. Holly coughed before turning to face the strange man. "There you go!" she chirped, but he was gone!

Jacob hadn't even seen the man leave, and though he'd been watching Evy and Holly, he'd still watched him out of the corner of his eyes. After another long silence, he offered to take the girls home. Evy nodded, having apparently decided not to speak at all. Holly nodded as well, but at least she tried to talk in the taxi.

The girls were dropped off at the hotel, and Jacob walked them up to their room. "Well, bye, I suppose," he mumbled, not sure what to say. 

Evy turned to him after Holly entered the room. "I'm sorry about tonight," she whispered, before leaning up and kissing him on the lips. With that done, she entered the room as well and shut the door.

Jacob left, deciding it was best to let the girls talk everything out. 

Meanwhile, Sweeney Todd was back at the old shop, the black box barely distinguishable in the dark. "Finally," he whispered, gently (yet quickly) shoving the key into the lock.

There was a small 'click', and the lid sprang open. In the moonlight, Sweeney counted only four razors, but they were there! No rusting had occurred; the silver remained as untainted as that day…the day **she** gave them back…It was as if they'd been put there just recently, as if they'd waited all this time for him to return.

"My friends."

_I'm back again._

**Okay! That's the end of another chapter (which took forever to start), and reviews are greatly appreciated! Anyone care to guess what's going to happen next, now that Sweeney has his friends back? You can guess (and probably guess correctly...) now, so...um...please do! I'll probably update...hmmm...later today. If not, then for sure tomorrow! Toodles!**


	14. Return of the Demon

I am updating again! (but only because I will be gone for the next two (maybe three) days...) Therefore, I am dedicating this chapter to **Marzi**, because she was so eager for something similar to this to happen.

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own...not yet, at least!

Ch.14 Return of the Demon Barber

He finally had them, his friends, and they were in his own hands. He couldn't believe that girl! Holly had been more than happy to get the key back from Evy once he implied that he was the one they'd collided into.

_Silly little nit. It'd be better for her if she hadn't spoken at all._

He flicked one razor open, its silver blade and handle glistening in the fading sunlight. A fleeting memory of him crooning to his razors played in his mind before being replaced with malicious thoughts. Now he could finally do what he'd wanted ever since he'd come back to life. He could take his old job back up, of doing in customers who made the unfortunate decision to enter his shop, but first---

"Cody and Jennifer," he said softly to himself, "our first 'customers'." With a final sigh, he pocketed the razor and began to search around his real shop for the familiar holster.

The sun had returned to the sky (only to be clouded up once more) by the time he was ready. The trap was set; all that was left was the bait, and his revenge would be complete.

_Why am I so obsessed with her? Is it because of her resemblance to Mrs. Lovett? Or is it something else?_

Sweeney left his home somberly, yet also with a strange spring in his step. He had to be at his 'job' by noon, and it was only ten minutes until then.

Cody was reading a book at his desk, waiting for Mr. Todd to return so they could open. It was a suspenseful point in the book, one where a nearly-worthless person was about to be murdered by someone he hardly knew (and yet trusted).

Jennifer was sitting in a chair, bored and playing Pong with her cell phone. 

All in all, the two friends had nothing better to do than wait.

Then Sweeney entered.

Cody looked up from his book to see who'd opened the door, for the bell had tinkled loudly in the large room. "Ah! Mr. Todd!" he shouted at the pale man.

Sweeney smiled, knowing exactly what he was going to do in the next few minutes. "Cody," he said eerily, then took the man by his shoulders. "May I speak with you…privately?"

Cody nodded before setting his book down, a vague feeling of dread in his heart. Sweeney led him to the back of the shop, where he sat Cody down on a chair. "What is it?" Cody asked. Sweeney gave no reply. "Well?" 

Anticipation was coursing through Sweeney's veins. 

_Do it now…_

Cody stared up at him with big, blue eyes, his mouth opening to speak---

_Do it, before you get too weak to actually try!_

---but he never got the chance to say anything, for at that moment, two things happened. The first thing was that a streak of gleaming silver sliced through both air and throat, causing a waterfall of (a familiar) dark red liquid to pour out of the fatal wound.

The second thing was that Jennifer barged into the room to announce that there was a customer waiting for a shave. She just stood there and stared as Cody gasped and choked on his own blood. "Cody!" she cried, running over to him. She didn't notice the man standing next to the door, the one with a streak of white in his hair, the one who'd been hired less than three days ago. Nor did she notice when that same man closed the door and tightened his grip on a crimson razor. All she cared about at the moment was Cody, and seeing that he was obviously either dead or dying was limiting her otherwise logical thoughts.

It was because of her feelings for Cody that she had to go, too. Otherwise, she'd call for the police, and Sweeney couldn't get his revenge on---

_Mrs. Lovett…_

---Evy. And that was why Sweeney swiped his razor once more across a woman's throat, this time killing her instantly.

_Isn't that much better? What a charming notion._

The two friends lay dead on the concrete floor, different shades of red blood merging together into a pool of darkness. The killer casually wiped off his razor with a bloody sleeve before returning it to its place on his holster.

_Revenge has never tasted as sweet…_

Sweeney Todd, the demon barber of Fleet Street, was now finally back.

**Well? Is it good? Review, please!**


	15. The Importance of Water

I'm back! This chapter goes out to all of you who wonder what Sweeney will do with the bodies! Oh, and the **bold** is a flashback sequence, while **_bold italics_** are dreams. 'Kay?

Disclaimer: I do not own Sweeney Todd...but hopefully I'll own a DVD by April 10th (at the latest!) However, I do own Evy, Holly, the bodies of Cody and Jennifer, and...that's it for now.

**andaere**-He did it because he wanted to, and it would less complicate his methods of 'shaving'. Can you imagine him about to polish off a customer, then Cody bursts into the room? (almost exactly like Anthony at the end of 'Pretty Women'!)

Oh, and thank you, **CurlyCurlz! **I'll be sure to change those! Look forward to more insights!

Ch.15 The Importance of Water

_Now what?_

Sweeney stared down at the bodies. There was an odd buzzing in his brain, a familiar feeling that he hadn't felt for, oh, so long. A sort of thrill, in a way. The thrill of finally slitting someone's throat and watching them descend into the oven room through the chute, and knowing what would happen to the body…

_Wait a minute. What about the body?_

Mrs. Lovett would steal the valuables, skin the meat off, grind it, put it into her pies…

_But this time, I don't have Mrs. Lovett. I'm alone._

Sweeney subconsciously began to pace.

_How can I hide the bodies? I can't bury them…this street is too crowded, even at night._

There was a large metal grate on the concrete floor. It was barely noticeable, but the blood had begun to drain into it.

_Where does the blood go? Where does the grate lead?_

Kicking aside the bodies (and getting blood onto his black pants), Sweeney took a few long steps to the grate. It wasn't bolted down at all, so he could easily pull it up and out.

_I suppose I could always throw them down here…wherever 'here' is._

And he did. He kneeled down and pulled. The grate protested, but came out nonetheless. Sweeney tossed it carelessly to the side before leaning down and listening (for what?).

There wasn't a sound at first, except for the 'drip, drip' of blood. But soon after that sound was filtered through Sweeney's brain, another caught his ear. It was the sound of running water splashing wetly against concrete walls.

It was a sewage tunnel.

Sweeney smiled faintly.

_How…convenient._

He rose from his bloody seat, grabbed the arm of Jennifer, and began to pull.

There was an echoic splash as the body of the forgotten girl landed in sewage waters and was washed away, Cody's body coming soon after.

There was a stream of warm water running from the sink. Holly was doing the dishes as a sort of…atonement for what she did wrong, whatever that was. Once Jacob had left, Evy had begun to speak slowly, as if in fear of turning her 'speech' into a shouting contest.

**Evy was furious, Holly could tell. They'd been friends since elementary school, and never had a fight like this, where they actually got physical!**

"**Why were you talking to him?" was the main question.**

**Holly didn't know how to answer it, so she just shrugged her shoulders. Apparently, that had been a mistake. "Do you know him?" Evy asked sternly, her hand gripping the locket.**

"**He just came up to me and asked if I had his key, I swear!"**

"**Then why didn't you tell him you didn't have it? Why did you keep talking to him?"**

"**I-I-I don't know! I didn't know what to say!" Tears covered both girls' eyes.**

**Evy fiddled with her golden locket some more. "Do you know who he is?" she asked.**

"**No, not really."**

"**He was the one who threw the photo case at me, Holly. He was the on tried to kill me!" At that point, Evy's voice failed her, and she plopped down onto the tiny sofa in the room.**

**Holly sighed, yet another bad idea for the night. "Not that nonsense again. Seriously, Evy, drop it. All he did was bump into you. He didn't throw the pictures at you!"**

**Each time someone spoke, the voices got a little bit louder, until shouts were waking up old neighbors in the nearby rooms. Each time, Evy got a little more out-of-control. And each time, Holly just stood there, watching and waving her arms around, until finally she'd tried getting in Evy's face to reinstate her opinion.**

**That been a bad idea. Evy didn't respond well to intimidation, and with a rough slap on Holly's cheek, she ran into the bedroom and slammed the door shut.**

That was a day ago, and Evy still hadn't spoken a word to Holly. Jacob had tried calling, but Holly, not knowing what to say, had ignored the calls.

Evy was in the bedroom with the door locked (technically, she was in the bathroom that joined the bedroom, and was soaking in the bathtub.). _HOW DARE SHE DO THAT! _She thought, steam from the hot water clouding up her vision. _And how dare I actually slap her…that was a bad choice. Congrats, Evy! You've officially ruined you life in one day! Care to make it any worse?_ She stared at her golden locket, which she had taken off and placed on the opposite side of the tub. It glittered in the yellow bathroom light (like her mother's hair had used to). _Or even say a short, "I'm sorry I was a jerk, Holly,"?_

"No," she whispered to herself. "I want to tell her I'm sorry, but I just can't. She doesn't believe me about that man. And last night, the way he'd glared at me…" she gave an involuntary shudder. _I don't want to get on his bad side…probably too late for that, though. _The sound of her voice out loud gave her courage. "What do I do?" _Besides buy a ticket out of London and back home immediately._ No ideas came up.

She stayed in the tub for over an hour, until the last of her skin was wrinkled, and all the warmth of the water was gone. However, she didn't know any of that, for she was asleep.

Dreams flowed around, fragments of memories inserting themselves in as well._** There was a hole, a dark hole, in a wall…like a sewage line. Footsteps echoed loudly along the concrete floor. A hand clutching something (a knife?) sharp tightened. There was a dark shape right in front of the hole. It was a girl, one with raggedy blonde hair messed around. She was facing the hole, waiting (for what?). Finally, she turned, the footsteps having finally been heard. Her green eyes widened in shock, and her mouth formed unspoken words, like a plead (for what?). Suddenly, a white blaze flew across her throat, and there was blood everywhere-**_

Evy's eyes shot open, with tears streaming down. Eagerly, she drained the water from the tub and toweled herself off. Once she'd done all that and had fresh clothes on, she unlocked the door and left the room. She had to apologize to Holly, and now!

There was one reason driving her to actually apologize: Holly had been the girl in the dream.

**Cliffie! Whoo! (okay, not really...but still...) Isn't it a coincidence that there's a sewer under the shop? Hmm...looks like someone (or 'something') is watching out for our Sweeney. Unfortunatly, all good things must end eventually, and sometimes, sewers can back up into plumbing and get into homes...(hint, hint) Toodles for now!**


	16. Yet Another Voice

Well, I promised myself I'd update, so here it is! It's sort of short, but I'll make up for it in the next chapter-don't worry. (I've actually been writing the next chapter, since we've been doing this stupid MAP testing and get a lot of downtime in school.)

DISCLAIMER: I _don't _own Sweeney Todd (though now I am the proud owner of a DVD! Squee!), but I _do _own Evy, Holly, Jacob, and the voices in my characters' heads (including the new voice...).

Ch.16 A New Voice

"Holly!" Evy cried as she burst out of the bedroom.

Holly turned around, her hair in a messy ponytail. "What?" she asked, genuine concern in her voice.

"Oh…" Evy said, seeing that her friend wasn't in any danger. _Foolish of me to think she was in the first place,_ she thought. "I was just…getting some…" she looked at the table. There on it was a glass of orange juice. "Orange juice! I was getting some orange juice!" she proclaimed a little too loudly.

Holly coughed. "So, um--orange juice?"

Evy smiled grimly. "Yeah…because, you know, it's healthy and all…I'm sorry!" she blurted.

At the same time, Holly said, "Listen, Evy, I'm really sorry."

There was a short silence, until the two both suddenly broke out laughing. _Ah, Holly, I can never stay mad at you for long._ "But seriously, I shouldn't have slapped you," Evy said quietly.

"It was partially my fault. I shouldn't have gotten in your face. But, what's done is done. After all, the history of the world is to learn forgiveness and try to forget," Holly replied, giggling.

The twosome smiled at each other before wrapping up in a bear hug. "Well, do you forgive me?" Evy asked Holly.

Holly grinned into Evy's wet red hair. "Sure," she said, "just don't slap me again."

Evy chuckled at that. "Well, I've got to call Jacob now," she muttered before tearing her body out of Holly's grasp.

Holly let Evy pull away and watched as her friend dialed the number, a grim look on her face.

In fact, it was the same look that Sweeney Todd had on in his new 'shop'. He had changed shirts (there were some in the room) since killing Cody and Jennifer, having at least some small sense of reason.

He exited the room, only to bump into someone.

"Who are you?" a soft voice asked. It was an old gentleman with a long gray beard.

Sweeney grimaced.

_That's right; Jennifer ran in saying there was a customer._

He looked at the old customer. "Are you here for a shave?" he asked gruffly.

The man looked a bit taken aback. "Y-yes, I am."

_Too bad…_

"Very well, then."

_Another victim…_

**Don't do it.**

_What the-_

Sweeney raised an eyebrow as the man sat in a chair. It was getting dark already.

**Do not kill him.**

_Why not?_

**Because I said so. You need someone to tell everyone how 'excellent' you are.**

After draping a cloak around the man, Sweeney proceeded to put the shaving cream on.

**Do not kill him. Not yet…wait a bit longer.**

_Very well, then!_

After that, he pulled out his razor. He admired its glistening shine, how it caught the light of the shop and reflected it back. He admired the shape, and how comfortably it fit in his hands, and just how perfect it was! The temptation to kill was in his veins, once again awakened by the deaths of earlier. But somehow, the bold voice seemed to gain hold of Sweeney's head, filling it with logical plans and making Sweeney unable to take the final swipe.

Five minutes later, Sweeney was once again alone in the shop, but this time he was bloodless (as well as frustrated).

**Now was that so hard?**

_Who are you?_

**Your sensible, pondering and planning side.**

_The side that Mrs. Lovett would normally be the voice of._

**Let's go with that. Now, what are you going to do about that one boy…Matthew?**

_Matthew!_

Sweeney's eyes widened as he remembered the young boy, but instead of going after him, he remained in his pacing. Matthew didn't matter-no one else did…Only her, and his revenge against her lies.

_She will die, for sure._

**Yes…certainly she will.**

**_Okay, I'm just bold-italicing this for one sentence, so y'all don't get confused. _There we go...So, Sweeney's got a new voice in his head! That's a definate sign of one going insane. Next chapter will have more blood! Whoo-hoo!**


	17. Deaths in Every Which Way

I am so sorry I took so long! I've been busy with important tests (but at least I got time to write out chapters!). This is my longest chapter yet, since I decided not to break it up at the different 'parts'. And there's plenty of killing, for those of you who enjoy that.

**kloper70**-Yes! You got that! I love Dracula so much! (Come to think of it, I am always attracted to the evil, bloody characters...hmm...odd.)

**ktkitty4**-I've only watched it two times (I can only watch it on weekends, and only after my younger siblings have gone to bed...sob) but I can almost recite it! Also, is it bad when you actually start to feel _sorry_ for Pirelli, Beadle Bamford, and Turpin? Because for some reason, I'm starting to feel that way. Hmm...

Anyways...Disclaimer: No. Just because I own _Sweeney Todd_ on DVD, I don't own Sweeney Todd (because if I did, he'd become suicidal after what I'd so to him...smirks). However, I do own Matthew, Evan, Ms. Cooper, and the officer.

Ch.17 Part I: The Sneeze of Death

The familiar ringing of the bell, as well as heavy footsteps, alerted the pacing man to someone behind him. With a sharp intake of breath, the man turned.

"Matthew?"

"Mr. Todd?"

_What's __he__ doing here?_

"Why are you here?" Sweeney Todd asked, wiping off an already-clean razor.

Matthew beamed (though 'why' is still a mystery). "Well, you weren't around the house for a few days—here, I guess?"

Sweeney nodded slightly, still cleaning the razor.

"I told you you'd get a job easily! I was right, wasn't I?" Matthew suddenly burst out. "Wasn't I?"

Once again, Sweeney nodded instead of spoke. He tuned out the boy's brags about how smart he was and turned back to the wall where he'd been pacing.

After bragging about himself and his brilliantness, Matthew finally settled down. "Ahh, Mr. Todd," he muttered, slurring the syllables together.

Sweeney raised an eyebrow.

_Is he __drunk?_

**Offer him a shave…**

"—and who's the owner of this fine establishment? Can I talk to him?"

"Would you like a free shave?"

Matthew stopped talking. "W-what?" he stuttered.

"Would you care for a free shave?" Sweeney repeated slowly, an odd glint in his eyes.

The glow of Matthew's blue eyes shone, lighting up his entire face. "Really?" he asked.

Sweeney smiled, showing his true intentions for a brief moment. He gestured at the barbering chair.

Matthew jumped into the chair, causing it to spin several times. Moments later, he was calmed down with lather on his face and a cloak around his neck. His eyes were closed and relaxed; he had complete faith and trust in Sweeney.

However, that trust was misplaced. Sweeney brought out his razor and held it a fraction of an inch away from Matthew's neck when an incredible itching sensation trickled up his nose. It grew and grew, and just as he was about to make the kill, it emerged.

Sweeney Todd, the demon barber, sneezed.

**Bless you…**

Matthew jerked forward in surprise just as Sweeney pulled his arm back (in a reflex motion), resulting in a razor being dug into his neck. Matthew began to squirm around, gasping for air. Blood spurted out at odd angles, drenching Sweeney's 'new' shirt, but he ignored it. Instead, he continued to dig the razor in deeper, until Matthew had completely discontinued his awkward movements and lay limp in the chair—dead.

_He asked too many questions, anyway…_

**Has anyone ever died as a result of sneezing before?**

_I don't know-nor do I care. What's dead is dead, and that's all that matters._

Mere moments later, Matthew's blood-covered body was floating down the sewers under the shop, and Sweeney was in another of Cody's 'backup' shirts (which barely fit him, but it was decent enough).

Part II: Thursday

It had been almost a week since Sweeney had been revived, and he was using every bit of time he had free to 'catch up' on his bloodlust. Out of five men, only one came out alive, and more often than not nobody came out. And yet, somehow, Sweeney gained customers every day, as if some higher being _wished _him to go on killing. He'd given up on changing shirts (though he had more than enough money…most of it being down in the sewers along with the rotting bodies of the owners), and merely claimed that the redness was the effect of a newly contrived lather on white clothing. Every single customer believed him.

Until Thursday.

Sweeney was pacing, eager to shave another customer. He'd all but forgotten about Evy and Holly, and was constantly plagued by sudden clashing memories of Mrs. Lovett and his Lucy.

_And Johanna. Whatever became of you, my turtledove?_

The bell chimed, ripping Sweeney from his memories and thoughts. He turned. Behind him was a man (no surprises there) with curly orange locks on his head and face. He had both an orange mustache and a beard, both as curly as his hair.

"You Mr. Cody?" he asked Sweeney. His voice, although mostly English, had traces of an Irish accent in it.

"No," was the short response.

"Ah, well then…" the man drifted off.

"I'm Mr. Todd, however, and although Cody isn't here at the moment, if it's a shave you want, then you may have it," Sweeney suddenly said, a small plan in motion.

"Evan O'Connell," the man replied, not answering Sweeney's hidden question. He stared at Sweeney's shirt, which had a red stain on its sleeve. "What is that?"

"A new type of lather," was the reply.

Evan looked doubtful. "A shave, you said earlier?"

Sweeney smiled, unnerving Evan slightly. "Sit, sir, sit," the barber said, motioning to the chair.

Evan hesitated, sensing something cold about this strange man, but eventually he shrugged it off and sat. The cloak was draped around his neck and tied, and he closed his eyes.

Sweeney turned around and reached for his preferred 'friend'. What he saw almost made him drop the straight razor in shock, for it was covered in blood! He'd forgotten to clean it off!

**Wipe it off, now!**

He glanced around the shop, trying to see if there was a nearby rag, but there wasn't. To make matters worse, Evan turned around, alarm written all over his face. The two locked eyes, warm and fearful green ones meeting fierce onyx ones.

There was a large bloodstain right at the neck.

Everything happened quickly after that single moment. Evan threw the cloak off and ran for the door, a cell phone in hand. He was dialing 911, but he was in such a panic that his fingers kept hitting the wrong buttons.

Sweeney leapt after the man and missed, so he compensated by stabbing the razor into Evan's thigh. The attempt to slow him down worked, and the man let loose a haunting shout of agony. Undeterred, Sweeney ripped the razor out and tackled Evan to the ground, stabbing at flesh whenever he could. Blood gushed everywhere, soaking both men's shirts. Evan continued to try and dial the number, and just when he got it and hit the call button, Sweeney gave the final blow. With a loud shout, the barber sliced the back of Evan's throat, causing even more blood to erupt from the jugular.

Evan's body convulsed and he dropped the phone, dead at last.

**Took him long enough!**

_Much too long...Something isn't right._

"Hello?"

Sweeney lashed out, thinking that some poor unfortunate soul had wandered into the room. Surprisingly, his razor hit a hard surface, instead of soft and fleshy.

It was the cell phone.

"Hello? Is anyone there? This is 911 emergency calling."

Part III: Suspicions

Elaine Cooper repeated her words. "This 911 emergency calling. Will someone please answer?" There was no response. "But someone was there!" she muttered, folding her hands together and staring at a blue computer screen. She'd heard the sound of a struggle over her headphones, two people at the most. There'd been several sudden outcries, startling her enough to knock over her mocha latte. After that, there'd been the sound of a sharp object slicing through air and a liquid pouring out onto concrete. The entire scenario played in her head, making her nauseous.

"Something wrong, Ms. Cooper?" Officer O'Connell asked, coming from behind. He ran a hand through his orange hair.

"Sir, I got a call, but nobody's answering," Ms. Cooper explained. O'Connell nodded and pulled up a chair. "I heard sounds of a struggle on the other end. Other…sounds I've heard have led me to believe that the caller is now dead." O'Connell leaned in closer to the computer, attempting to see if he knew the calling number. He blinked once, then twice before sitting back and letting a small gasp escape his lips. "W-what is it?" Ms. Cooper asked, worried. It wasn't like O'Connell to act like that.

O'Connell, by way of responding, pointed a shaking finger at the screen, at the phone number.

Ms. Cooper studied the number, not understanding the officer's reaction. Sure, it seemed familiar, but only vaguely. Actually, it had the same number as Evan, O'Connell's son. "Oh my G-," she whispered. "Evan!" With a hurried click, she brought up the tracing map. "Fleet Street…he's down near there," she noted of the location.

O'Connell didn't even say a brief "Thank you." Instead, he got out of his seat and disappeared to his patrol car.

Ms. Cooper continued to listen on headphones, straining her ears for any sign that the boy might be alive. Sadly, all she heard was the sound of water rushing about somewhere nobody knew of.

However, she was wrong in that assumption. Sweeney pulled on a black jacket he'd found under one of the waiting chairs. He was sitting in the chair, staring at the door.

_The body's gone._

There was a loud siren, coming nearer and nearer, by the sound of it. There were dulled blue and red lights reflecting through a window.

**Trouble!** **Mischief!**

A vehicle pulled into a spot near the sidewalk, next to the shop. Someone got out of it and began to walk (rather quickly) towards the shop. Sweeney gripped the arms of the chair tightly. The person was dressed officially, reminding him of the Beadle Bamford.

_The Beadle…Lucy…Turpin…_

Memories flashed in his head, connecting this one random person to everyone Sweeney had ever known.

The bell chimed as the person entered. "Who are you?" he (for it was a man) asked gruffly.

Sweeney heard the coldness in his voice.

_He knows!_

**Wait…Give it a minute…He might go away.**

"I'm Mr. Sweeney Todd," he introduced himself. "Are you here for a shave, perhaps?"

The officer shook his head. "Has anyone come in recently?" he asked. "Maybe someone with red hair? About 5'3"?"

Sweeney looked the officer directly in the eyes. "Yes, I believe someone of that description did come in. He requested a shave-,"

"Do you know where he is?" the officer asked suddenly. Sweeney felt anger rise up in him.

"-All I did was polish him off and sent him on his way," he said, trying to compose himself.

The officer's face fell, and he turned. "That'll be all," he murmured before exiting the shop.

Sweeney allowed himself to let out his breath.

**People are getting suspicious.**

_But when will I get to her?_

**Just wait. An opportunity will present itself soon.**

Sweeney grunted before slumping back into the chair. What he didn't know was exactly how right the voice was, and that it was only a matter of days until something would happen.

**_Whoo!_ That was a long chapter. You'll have to forgive me, I don't know if England goes by the same police rules as America. I didn't know if there was the whole '911' situation in London, so I'm sorry if that's not the way it is there. Forgive me, please! We're getting towards the end of the story...and the next chapter will be just an Evy/Holly one. But it's almost done, so it should be up by the end of the week. That's all for now! Review please!**


	18. Attend the Tale

Oh my goodness! I can't believe I haven't updated in so long! Don't give up hope yet, though. School may slow me down, but I shall update! (grins triumphantly) Right. Back to business. Well, I looked up British Library on Wikipedia, so the description might be a tad...I don't know, inaccurate? If so, please forgive me. I really need to get out more and explore the world.

Disclaimer: I own him! Sweeney Todd is locked up in my basement! No wait...dangit, that was my friend's short story. Nevermind. Forget all I have said. I do own Holly, Evy, and Mr. Mayberry, though! That still counts, right?

**ktkitty4-**Sweeney is killing people partly out of habit (he's always done it), partly because he feels cheated by the voice at the very beginning (the one that promised that Lucy would come back as well), and partly because it would be really hard to have a multi-chaptered Sweeney Todd fanfic without killing of some kind. Then again, I could be wrong. That's just my opinion.

Ch. 18 Attend the Tale

It was the second to last day that the friends would have in London, and out of all the places they could've been, they were at the park. At least, that was Holly's opinion. She wanted to shop for souvenirs, but no! Evy wanted to spend time in the park, gazing at the trees, and feeding small flocks of birds.

"Isn't this great?" she asked Holly.

Holly rolled her eyes. "Yeah…sure…," she mumbled unenthusiastically.

Evy heard the sarcasm and smiled faintly. _It's so nice of Holly to let me choose what to do today. I should take her shopping tomorrow, _she thought. A small ray of sunlight broke through the cloudy day and landed perfectly on her head.

Holly had just happened to be staring at Evy when that happened, and so saw a difference in her friend's appearance. It appeared as if Evy's red hair was…_paler_…it was…_lighter_…more like a faded red than the dulled crimson it normally was. And her skin seemed paler as well, with her locket glittering in the light.

As quickly as it had come, the light faded, and Evy was back to 'normal'.

Holly blinked: had she imagined someone else standing in Evy's place? "Nah," she told herself, not wanting to seem insane.

Evy sensed Holly's eyes on her and turned, a frown on her face. "What's wrong?" she asked, seeing the expression on her face. Holly shook her head and mouthed a vague 'nothing'. "Are you sick or something?"

"Why are we here?" Holly asked suddenly, changing the subject.

Evy's frown grew deeper. "Because I wanted to see the park?"

"No! I mean here, London, England!" Holly waved her hands in the air for emphasis.

Evy walked over to her friend. "Because I wanted to find out more about my heritage," she whispered.

Holly nodded. "But have you? We've been here almost a full week, and you've not learned anything new. Why not begin searching now?"

Evy smiled. "Sure! Why not?"

And so the two girls left the park.

"So…where do we start?" Holly finally asked once they were a block away from the park.

"Lets see…The only thing I really know about my great-great grandmother was that she used to live here, in London, at some Judge's home."

"Well…we could check out…ummm…a City Library or something? Don't they have records or something like that?" Holly twirled her blonde hair around her fingers, a habit she'd recently taken up.

"Holly, do you really think there's going to be records of where people lived all those years ago in a…Hey! Why don't we check out the British Library?" Evy burst out. Holly sighed. Evy grinned, knowing that Holly was the actual submitter of that idea. "I'm kidding you," she assured her friend, who playfully shoved her and began to sprint away, towards a station.

About ten minutes later, they were standing in front of London's British Library. Evy took a deep breath before pulling open the doors.

"Oh my goodness," the girls said at the same time. The building was magnificently decorated on the inside. The walls were smoked glass; there were stairways everywhere, and books! Tons of them! It was huge!

"Can I help you?" a kindly voice asked.

The girls turned. There was an old man standing right behind them! He looked at the girls intently, like he really did want to help them.

Holly couldn't bring herself to speak-the greatness of the library was too much for her.

_Guess it's up to me, then,_ Evy thought, seeing her friend at a loss. "Umm, we were wondering if there are any records of past inhabitants of London," she said, hoping she sounded intellectual.

"Why?" the old man asked, and Evy read his nametag. _Colin Mayberry,_ it said.

"Well, because I had an ancestor who moved from here to America," she explained.

Mr. Mayberry scratched his head, giving Evy an interested look. "Do you know the name of said ancestor?" he asked.

Evy frowned. "No, sir. All I know is that she lived in a Judge's home before she moved. I-I think her name started with a 'K'? Something close to that, I'm sure."

"Was she married to this 'judge'?"

"No, I don't think so. Umm…This is her locket," she said, holding the necklace out for Mr. Mayberry to see.

"This looks about…well I'll be darned! About 100 years old, maybe older! Can you take it off?"

Evy gave him a questionable look. He seemed to understand it and dropped his interest. The necklace meant too much to her, he could see. "Okay then, forgive that incident, please. I get so fascinated by historical items," Mr. Mayberry explained. Evy gave him a small smile. "So, this is her locket, you say?"

"Yes."

"And it's about 100 years old. So you're looking for someone who lived in the mid-1800s. Female, and lives with a Judge. That reminds me of a tale I read just a month ago." Mr. Mayberry began to walk away, motioning for Evy to follow. Evy took one look at Holly before grabbing her arm and pulling her in the correct direction.

"Do you mind if I ask what the tale was?" Evy asked, perplexed.

"What tale?" Holly asked before Evy smacked her on the arm. "What?" she whined, rubbing the stinging area.

"Not at all, not at all," Mr. Mayberry replied, still heading towards a certain part of the library. He paused at a table and sat. Evy sat as well, and Holly, though still resentful, did so too. "Let's see, it was about a month ago I read it…Or was last week?" the old man mumbled. "It was an old newspaper clipping I came across a while ago. It said something about the death of a popular Judge, Turpin, I think his name was. Well, apparently, fifteen years before this occurred, he'd sent a man—a barber, he was— to prison on a false charge. The man somehow escaped and got back to London, wanting revenge. Instead of taking it out on the judge, the man ended up taking out his revenge on all his barbering victims."

"What do you mean?" Holly asked, interested but confused.

Evy, however, understood, and faced her friend. She made a slicing movement across her throat and gagged. Holly paled. "Continue," Evy said to Mr. Mayberry, "please."

"That's not all. The barber's wife—the Devil's wife, they call her—skinned the meat off the dead bodies and cooked them into her pies, feeding them to the whole lot of London." The elderly man paused, obviously sickened by the thought of cannibalism in his hometown. He took a deep breath before continuing, "Finally, the Judge came by and well…The barber got what he wanted. And yet, somehow, he was killed…murdered…by one of his own razors…or so the story goes."

"And what of the baker…the pie-maker?" Evy whispered, not sure if she wanted to know.

"Ran off. Disappeared. Nobody knows for sure. All that's said in the clipping was that the barber was found dead, cradling a dead beggar woman." Mr. Mayberry leaned against his chair. "And then there was the dead Judge, and his beadle…but that was all." He looked at Evy. "Sorry. Now that I think about it, that doesn't really help your case at all, does it?" He chuckled lightly.

Evy smiled. When Holly didn't, she nudged her with her elbow until she smiled as well. "Actually, it might help. Did the article say anything about a girl living with this Judge—Turpin, you say?"

Mr. Mayberry shook his head. "I don't know. My memory isn't what it used to be. I'm sorry." He truly looked upset at his unhelpfulness.

Evy softened. "That's okay," she whispered. "Thank you for your help." She stood, Holly following suit. "You really did shed some light on everything, sort of." The two girls began walking away.

Mr. Mayberry smiled sadly. "Goodbye," he said, watching them leave the library.

**Now they know the tale of Sweeney Todd...or at least part of it. This is sort of based both on the movie and the penny dreadful from 1854 (I think). But not to worry! There is a reason that the girls had to learn this! It actually contributes to the invisible plot! Whoo-hoo! Review please! And I promise I shall get more chapters up sooner. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not the day after that, but eventually! Byeness!**


	19. The Last Tyme

I'm sorry I'm taking so long per chapter! I blame school (meaning Algerbra...), Shakespeare (we're doing _Hamlet)_, and Science (since we have to create a Rube Goldberg...actually, that's not so hard after all...). But here it is! The next chapter! This one is actually my favorite so far. Why it is, though, you'll have to read to find out.

**Lily Yamamoto-**nope! You've got it spot on! All shall be explained in the next chapter...I think.

Disclaimer: I refuse to state the (depressing) obvious, since you all must know it (and hate it) as well.

Ch.19 The Last Tyme

It was Friday. And sadly enough, it was the day before Evy and Holly were to leave London and go back to America. Not that Holly wasn't too upset about leaving-she seemed rather peppy, actually, but Evy was just the opposite. She was acting very melancholy about leaving (so soon, in her opinion, too soon).

The phone rang. Evy looked up from her silent packing and glared at it, not even caring about answering it. Holly took one look at her grumpy friend and swiftly hurried to the phone. "Hello?" she asked, a bit of sadness in her voice as well. There was a mumbling on the other side, and she smiled faintly before handing the phone to Evy. "It's for you," she said softly, and left the room to take a shower.

"Yes?" Evy asked slowly.

"It's Jacob," the familiar voice replied, filling Evy's heart with warmth. Sure, they hadn't really talked, not since that evening in the park, but it was nice of him to call her. "I was wondering…Holly told me that you two were leaving tomorrow…and I wanted to see if you'd go out on a final…evening with me?" His voice, usually loud and clear, became soft and shy with each word.

Evy smiled. "Yes. See you at the park at six?" she asked, trying to contain her cheerfulness.

"You bet! I mean, I'll be there," Jacob said, his voice once again loud. "Bye!"

"Bye, then." There was a click as Evy hung up the phone.

Holly ran out of the room, forgetting that she was supposed to be in the shower. "You're happy again!" she shouted, hugging Evy firmly.

"You weren't eavesdropping, were you?" Evy looked at her, suddenly serious. Holly tried not grin, but failed miserably. Evy grinned, letting her friend know that she'd been kidding. "Jacob wants one more night out."

"Then do it! If it makes you happy, go out! Have fun!"

"Wow. What wonderful words of wisdom," Evy muttered. "You make it sound like I'm going to a bar."

"Are you?" Holy asked, sincere.

"No!" Evy exclaimed before smacking Holly playfully. "Though, I'm upset that I didn't learn anything about _her_."

"Ahh, don't worry about it. Come on-let's go get something to eat. Do they have McDonald's in London?" After getting dressed, Holly dragged Evy out as well.

Storm clouds banded together to blanket the sky. It would rain cats and dogs that night. People going outside had donned raincoats, save for a few random people.

Time flew in a blur. The next thing Evy knew, she was in a black shirt with a silver-and-red butterfly print on it (the two girls had gone shopping). She wore black jeans, with silver sparkles (but not so much that she looked girly-eww!) and a red leather jacket over her shirt. Her hair was down and wet, for she'd decided to take a quick shower before her final night out.

"Ready?" Holly asked, staring at her friend. It was 5:47.

Evy nodded. "Yes. We're to meet at six, so I need to leave now." She started for the door, but was stopped by Holly's loud sigh.

"Yes, Hollywood?" she asked teasingly, turning and facing her friend.

"Just…have fun. I know you came here for different reasons, but…well…I had a great time," Holly said, looking at the floor.

Evy grinned, knowing that it took a lot of guts for Holly to lie about her time. She knew that Holly hadn't thoroughly enjoyed it, but it still meant a lot. "See you at eight." Evy turned and with a "Bye", left.

She took a cab and arrived at the park at promptly 5:59. But where was Jacob? "Guess he's a bit late," she muttered to herself.

"I'm sure he'll be here at any moment," she said to a scampering squirrel at 6:10.

Then 6:30 rolled around. And Jacob was no where to be seen. Evy shivered. She had a sickening feeling in her gut. To make matters worse, thunder began to sound, announcing the coming rain.

"My life sucks," Evy muttered. The rain suddenly began to pour down, drenching everything in a matter of seconds. Vision clouded and hair sticking to her jacket, she ran. She didn't know where to, but she wanted to get out of the rain, Jacob or no Jacob. _At least Holly is safely inside,_ she noted with a frown.

But in actuality, she was wrong.

Holly had felt a bit jealous and wanted to take a walk. Now, though, she regretted it. The clouds covered the sky, rendering everyone blind. There was loud thunder playing across the town, and the rain was on its way. "Dammit, I'm always the one outside at the wrong times," she muttered, ducking into the nearest place she could find.

It was dark inside, wherever she was. Holly shook her head, spraying drops of water everywhere. She failed to notice the wet splotches on the wall and floor. At least, until she slipped on them.

"OW!" she cried, her butt sore _and _wet. She failed to ask herself why it was so wet, though, mainly due to the rain.

There was a slight footstep. Slight, but Holly heard it. "Is anyone there?" she asked, her voice wavering. She took a few steps forward into another room.

Behind her, a chair, a barber's chair, swung around with a _whoosh_ of air. Holly turned, suddenly fearful. Her breath was at first caught in her throat, but then her scream echoed throughout the shop and the outside street, drowned out for others to hear by the storm.

Jacob Snyder was in the chair.

And he was dead.

**Sorry if it's a bit short and fast, but I needed that to happen for the next few chapters to happen. It's sort of like a chain reaction...if you get my drift. Review please! They encourage me!**


	20. The Harshness of Reality

Here it is, at last! I am sorry that I made you all wait over a week for this. But I hope this (short) chapter is worth it! We find out an interesting truth in this chapter...plus there's only two more chapters left in the story! (Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing I am unsure of...)

Ch.20 The Harshness of Reality

Evy ran, her wet hair flopping noisily behind in the rush. She was aiming for maybe a restaurant, but somehow took a wrong turn and ended up in Fleet Street. At least, that's what the sign said. However, for all she knew, it could've read Meat Street-that's how dark it was.

"Great. Just great! I'm lost!" Evy sighed. "And not only that, but the Fates have chosen me to pick on! (meaning, of course, the rain)" She let loose a frustrated growl. _Fine. Since I have no clue where to go, I'll just walk…in the cold, stormy weather…until I find civilization,_ she thought. That's when she saw a dark shape a block away.

_Forget that, I'm going there! _Evy headed towards the shape. As she had suspected, it was a house of some sort, with stairs on the left side (quite a familiar shape, actually…). With a deep, shaking breath, she walked up to a door and knocked. There was no reply.

Evy reached for the doorknob. (Un) surprisingly, it was locked! With a groan, she turned. A flash of lightning illuminated a cellar door. "Anything's better than this!" she said to nobody, and tried pulling the doors open. They opened easily, and with a deep breath, Evy began taking baby steps down invisible stairs. Once down the stairs, there was another door. This one, however, was unlocked. She went inside. There was a faded light—a fire! Inside an old-fashioned oven, she noted, feeling uncomfortable. At least it was slightly warmer. "Better than being outside right now," she muttered.

Unfortunately for the girl, since it was so dark outside, she hadn't seen the faded sign that said "Mrs. Lovett's Pie Emporium".

Also unfortunately, she didn't see the black eyes that watched her every move, with white hands gripping a straight razor tightly.

Evy felt like she was being spied upon. Her hair was dripping red onto the floor behind her and her matching red jacket. She didn't even notice that her hair had changed colors. However, the one other person in the room _did_ notice, and the appearance of a girl with straight (not to mention wet) _blonde_ hair brought up memories. The memories that had been there the entire time, just viewed through the wrong point of view.

"Lucy," Sweeney whispered, walking into her view. He was now truly seeing the girl for the first time. Her hair was now blonde with red at the edges. Her face seemed different, softer, yet still radiated fear. Her eyes, though, those weren't Lucy's blue eyes. No, these were the eyes of Benjamin Barker, from so long ago. The girl…she wasn't Nellie Lovett, as he'd thought. No, she was something better, by far!

Evy back up against the wall, startled by both his sudden appearance and the mention of her name. _How did he know my real name?_ she wondered vaguely as panic began to overtake her. _What's going on?!_ "H-h-how?" she stuttered, unable to form a whole sentence. She swallowed before trying again. "M-my name. How?" was all she got out. She squinted her eyes, subconsciously recognizing the man but being too scared to realize it.

"Lucy, Lucy, Lucy," Sweeney repeated, as if the word was a sacred chant. How had he missed it?

_**I told you that your Lucy would be back as well. You just chose not to listen.**_

**B-but she's not **_really _**back…is she?**

_Lucy, Lucy, Lucy!_

"You're Lucy," he stated, staring the girl down.

Evy's eyes traveled down to Sweeney's hands, both of which held razors…dripping what looked to be blood. Not knowing how to reply, she simply stood there, staring at the red and silver glints.

_She's Lucy! MY Lucy!_

Finally, something in Sweeney snapped. With a roar, he rushed at the girl (dropping one razor) and had her pinned against the stone of the wall. "Why are you Lucy? Why are you here? WHO ARE YOU?" he shouted, his hands at her throat.

_Answer me!_

Evy gasped for air. Receiving barely any, she managed to choke out, "My name—," before Sweeney slammed her against another wall, rougher than before.

"Who are you?" he said again, this time more softly.

"M-m-my name-my full name- is Lucy Evelyn Cassidy!" Evy sobbed.

"Your hair—!"

"Naturally blonde! I just didn't like the color so I dyed it red!"

Sweeney released the girl, shock numbing his body. With a loud cry, she picked herself up and ran. "Wait!" he cried, but she ignored him.

_But, Lucy!_

Evy didn't care what happened to her as long as she got away from that crazy man! Running until she ran out of breath, she leaned against a wet tree for support. "Why is he trying to kill me?" she said to the tree. "Why me? How did he know my name?" With another sob, she sunk to the ground and began to cry, tears spilling out, the horror she'd recently gone through finally escaping her weak boundaries.

**Note-Evy doesn't know that her hair isn't red. She's extremely freaked (who wouldn't be? If a psycho appeared to you and knew your name, I should hope youd be scared!) Also, I hope that this chapter answers any of the "But Evy looks like Mrs. Lovett, so why the Johanna relationship?" Evy doesn't look like Nellie Lovett. Sweeney just assumed she was her because of the red hair and his mind projected Nellie's face over Evy's. Does that make sense? Review please!**


	21. No Holding Back

Second to last chapter! This one is based on the Evanescence song _Weight of the World _(which I was listening to nonstop).

Disclaimer: (Forgot this on the last chapter. Oh well.) Sweeney Todd? Don't own. Evy Cassidy? Own. Holly? Own. Jacob's dead body? I'd rather not own...Evanescence lyrics? Don't own. Those belong to Amy Lee. Is there anything else? Nope? Well then, a-reading we shall go!

Ch.21 No Holding Back

_Feels like the weight of the world_

Holly stared at the body, the _dead_ body, unable to move. The morbidity of the situation had frozen her to the spot, and she unwillingly began to study the details.

_Like God in Heaven gave me a turn_

Jacob Snyder was in the chair, slumped down a bit. His eyes were opened so wide it looked like he was having a panic attack, with his mouth hanging open in shock. There was blood all over his shirt (brand new-just for Evy), and if Holly squinted close enough, she could see the cut in his throat where blood still flowed.

Holly felt bile rise up in her mouth. With a loud gag, she spun around and threw up.

_Don't cling to me-I swear I can't fix you_

Sweeney Todd stared at the spot where Lucy…_Evy_ had been just moments ago. Finally, he registered that she had left, and hatred rose up in him (at who? Himself for his foolishness? Mrs. Lovett-_who hadn't even really been there_-or the strange voice, the one that gave him the choice of life?)

Either way, the hatred fueled his body, and he gave chase after the girl, fully intending to kill her (again, why?). And so Sweeney ran out into the raging storm. However, the girl was gone. She'd gotten a head start, and used it to its full extent.

_No! I WILL find her!_

_Still in the dark-can you fix me?_

Inspiration suddenly struck his brain, and Sweeney rushed off, knowing where to look for her.

_Freefall freefall-all through life_

Holly turned at the sound of footsteps. "Who's there?" she asked in a wavering voice, not able to fully see the figure at the door.

The figure didn't answer, but a flash of lightning illuminated his outline, giving Holly two important bits of information.

One-that the figure was indeed a man, one with a white streak in his hair.

Two-that there was the unmistakable shape of a straight razor clenched in one of his hands.

Holly felt her legs turn to jello. "Who are you?" she asked again, her voice coming out as a squeak. But she already knew. Only one person she'd ever seen had a streak like that. 'You're the guy from the park, the one Evy-," but what the girl was about to say was never finished.

_If you love me then let go of me_

At the mention of Evy's name, Sweeney lost control. He charged the girl and shoved the razor mercilessly into her face, mauling it with all he had. Somehow, the razor found an eye and was plunged into it and into the brain, killing her. But he didn't care that she was dead-no, he had something to take out his emotions on. Skin was ripped away, blood was spurting in every direction, and Sweeney was enjoying it.

Soon after, Sweeney walked out of the shop, blood covering every inch of his pale skin. He'd go home, and wait. She'd come back, of that he was certain. "And we'll get to her," he crooned to his stained 'friend'.

_I won't be held down by who I used to be_

He was correct.

But not in the way he thought. Evy was pacing up and down the dirt road by the tree (from earlier). Every part of her wanted to run away from here, get out of London and head back to America. Yet, there was still another part that insisted on staying-why, she didn't know.

In the end, that part won.

_She's nothing to me_

But first, Holly. Evy needed to find her friend and tell her everything. Otherwise, she'd burst!

And that's how Evy came upon the barber's shop, temporarily owned by a man named Cody Jones (who had somehow vanished).

_Feels like the weight of the world_

The rain began to pound her even harder than before. Even though lightning was flashing more frantically in the pitch sky, Evy couldn't see much.

The wind howled, chilling her to the bone. "Who knows? Maybe Holly went in here," she said aloud. Thunder crashed as a reply. "Okay then."

_Like all my screaming has gone unheard_

Inside the shop was better than outside, even though it was still dark. It was warm in here, but somehow Evy felt goosebumps prick her skin.

There was a dark shape in front of her—a chair.

_And oh-I know you don't believe in me_

She simply walked around it, stepping in something squishy at the same time. Looking down, she saw what seemed to be an undistinguishable puddle. This only served to worsen her bad feeling.

Her inner self was yelling now. _GET OUT!! GET OUT!!_ But Evy was stubborn, and curiosity encouraged her on.

_Safe in the dark-how can you see?_

Evy yelped as something brushed against her. A feeling of dread rose up in the pit of her stomach.

Slowly, she spun around on her heels.

Jacob Snyder, the boy she met only a few days ago, the doctor who had helped her, was sitting in the chair, his face a mask of fear. _Why? _she wondered before spotting the gash along his neck.

_Oh my G—_she screamed mentally. Too frightened to do anything more, she ran the opposite direction.

Directly into the room where Sweeney Todd had recently murdered Holly.

_Freefall freefall-all through life_

Evy felt around for a flashlight, a switch, anything at all! Her hands found something warm and fleshy instead. Suppressing a shout, she felt around the warm object.

_Is there a cell phone? _She asked herself, feeling for jeans. _Aha! _With a triumphant smile (considering what she just saw), she flipped the cell phone open…and dropped it.

_If you love me then let go of me_

"Holly?" Evy hesitatingly asked. "Is that you?"

There was no reply. Evy picked up the cell phone again, this time firmly. Flipping open the cover, she bent down to peer at the body lying on the stone floor.

It was Holly.

But it looked nothing like the girl who was Evy's best friend since childbirth. Instead it resembled a bloody carcass. The only way she could tell that it **was** Holly was the clothing. The clothing that they'd just bought today. The clothing that was now ruined and stained beyond repair. Holly's blonde hair was now (ironically) crimson red, and the face—

The face was so torn up that there were bits of the skull shining out. Evy choked back her own vomit, tears brimming at the shock.

"H-holly?" she asked in a tiny voice.

But there was no reply. Not that she expected any. There were shreds of muscle everywhere. Holly had not just been killed, she'd been massacred! And judging by her warmth, it had been not too long ago. _I could've stopped this…_

_I won't be held down by who I used to be_

Evy rose, tears of blood streaming down her face like Indian war paint. She knew who had done this. And it was going end. It didn't matter that this guy had a razor. It didn't matter if he's a maniac. _Nothing truly matters,_ she mused, taking one last glance at Holly's broken body.

Anger filled her, rushing through her veins, at the horrid sight.

"I promise I won't hold back," she whispered to her life-long friend, so suddenly dead. Those were the words she repeated silently as she exited the shop.

She pointed her body towards Fleet Street— "I promise."

—and took a step into her own Hell.

"I promise."

**I love this chapter as well, but it took forever to type up! Especially Holly's death. Was it gruesome enough? Review please! (One more chapter to go!)**


	22. Never Forgive, Never Forget

Well, here it is...the final chapter of SABOT (as I dub it). It took forever to get this chapter right, and I'm worried it still isn't exactly perfect, but then again, nothing really is! Well then, enough of my jabbering! You have a chapter to read (and review--hint hint, nudge nudge).

**Marzi-**I hadn't answered this yet, so here ya go! I never said this in the story, but I always thought that even though Anthony and Johanna get married and run away, eventually they run into Toby and 'adopt' him. Then again, that's just how I imagined this...

**Lily Yamamoto-**Yes, that's it! She bought cheap hair dye!

**Mr. Rainbows-**I'm actually glad you felt that way!

**AccioSev-**That's a very good point! I never fully realized that! Hmm...in the movie, only the begger woman smells it, though. I wonder why?

Disclaimer-I gave up on those a while ago...they make me feel too sad...But I don't own the lyrics to _Whisper!_ That belongs to Evanescence! It just happened to suit the chapter.

Ch.22 Never Forgive and Never Forget

_**Catch me as I fall**_

_**Say you're here and it's all over now**_

He was waiting for her when she came. And he had made a decision: no matter what, the girl was not Lucy. And the voice that gave him the offer in the first place? He must've been the Devil in disguise, luring Sweeney back to life to cause mayhem. After all, as long as the girl had seemed like Mrs. Lovett, he had been killing people.

But Sweeney hated being a pawn in some sort of game. And so he wasn't going to play by the rules anymore.

_I'll just kill her as well._

_**Speaking to the atmosphere**_

_**No one's here and I fall into myself**_

She entered the room, her wet hair slapping against her back. The flickering firelight of the ancient oven showed a blank look upon her face—until she caught sight of the bloody maniac standing merely a few feet away.

"You," she said, her voice laced with contempt.

_**This truth drives me into madness**_

_**I know I can stop the pain if I will it all away…if I will it all away**_

"You killed her, you bastard."

Sweeney Todd watched Evy she spoke. She sounded so much unlike Lucy that it was like screeching to his ears.

**But she's not Lucy, remember?**

Maybe that was why the Demon Barber was also _proud_ of the anger in Evy's voice, and the fact that _he _had been the one to cause it.

_**Don't turn away (don't give in to the pain)**_

_**Don't try to hide (though they're screaming your name)**_

"Why did you kill her?" Evy asked, inwardly surprised at her calmness.

Sweeney gave the smallest twitch of a smile. "We all deserve to die," he answered plainly. His words had the desired effect.

"THAT'S YOUR EXCUSE? 'WE ALL DESERVE TO DIE'?" the blonde shouted, clenching her hands into tight fists. "HOLLY WAS MY FRIEND! YOU HAD NO RIGHT!"

_**Don't close your eyes (God knows what lies behind them)**_

_**Don't turn out the lights (never sleep, never die)**_

The fury erupted. In a blur, Evy launched herself at Sweeney, swinging her fists everywhere. The startled Sweeney responded by slashing at her with his razor, cutting through her black shirt and into her arm.

Evy yelped, but ignored the pain. She didn't need pain right now-she needed revenge. With a loud yell she drove her fist into Sweeney's stomach.

Sweeney gasped for air before realizing—_it didn't hurt._ Grimacing, he threw the girl off with unknown strength.

_Perhaps I was wrong. The Devil still has use for me._

But he wasn't going to let that happen. He would not be drawn into another killing spree. He was going to kill Evy—_not Lucy—_and then disappear.

_**I'm frightened by what I see**_

_**But somehow I know that there's much more to come**_

Evy landed on her left arm, fracturing it enough to where another hit like that, and it'd break. _I don't care! He killed Holly. He killed Jacob. HE KILLED HOLLY! _"You son of a bitch!" she cried, tears of unknown origin slipping down her red face. She leapt at him again, clawing at whatever she could reach.

Sweeney just calmly swiped his razor at her, cutting her multiple times and spilling blood, both his and hers, onto the wet floor. She was fighting back, resulting in his getting sliced a few times.

_**Immobilized by my fear**_

_**And soon to be blinded by tears**_

The fight was taking its toll on Evy, and she knew it. Wearily, she kicked at Sweeney, but her kick was so weak that it stopped in midair and fell to the ground. _I can't go on, _she realized, her anger leaving her and fear replacing it.

Sweeney saw this, and gave a dark chuckle. All the memories of his life—Lucy, Judge Turpin, Mrs. Lovett, Holly, Cody, Jacob—and their deaths swirled around in his head, blocking his vision.

_**I know I can stop the pain if I will it all away...**_

_**If I will it all away**_

He saw himself, impatient beyond measure, and unwilling to let his prey get away this time, easily slice the crazed beggar woman's neck—

--he saw himself stabbing the Judge after waiting after so long, and the precious rubies that coated both him and his beloved razor—

--he saw himself killing different people as Mrs. Lovett skinned the meat for her pies—

--and he saw himself dancing with Mrs. Lovett, a gleeful look on her face as they twirled around with false promises, and he saw how hatred changed his face (and how fear changed hers) when he threw her into her own oven. He remembered her screams, and how she'd burned, and how she'd been crying as she died, and how he'd just looked at her, venom lining his bloody face.

_**Don't turn away (don't give in to the pain)**_

_**Don't try to hide (though they're screaming your name)**_

He saw Cody when he'd killed him, and Jennifer, and Jacob (oh, how much fun that'd been!). He saw himself mauling the girl, Holly, and remembered the vast amount of pleasure he'd felt as her blood sprayed his body.

_**Don't close your eyes (God knows what lies behind them)**_

_**Don't turn out the lights (never sleep, never die)**_

Evy watched the barber as he advanced towards her, a wild look in his onyx eyes. She crawled away, fear guiding her movements. But she'd done so in vain—there was a stone wall behind her, blocking her escape.

_**Fallen angels at my feet**_

_**Whispered voices at my ear**_

Slowly, she pulled herself up. She took a deep breath, accepting her imminent death. After all, at least she'd be with Holly, right?

_**Death before my eyes**_

_**Lying next to me I fear**_

But there was a nagging though in the back of her brain. If she died here, in London, England, who'd tell her parents? How would they know that their beloved daughter was murdered in a different country?

_**She beckons me shall I give in**_

_**Upon my end shall I begin**_

Sweeney came closer, dropping his razor to the floor. The blade landed upwards, but he had no use for it now. He wanted to kill her through suffocation. Make her suffer.

Evy glanced at the floor. It was slick with blood, and there was only one chance for her to live. _Should I take it?_

_**Forsaking all I've fallen for I rise to meet the end**_

Evy closed her eyes and shoved. Her arms made contact with Sweeney's body, catching him off guard. Due to the slippery floor, he found himself slipping and falling—

_**Don't turn away (don't give in to the pain)**_

_**Don't try to hide (though they're screaming your name)**_

--directly onto his upturned razor. There was a blinding pain, and Sweeney looked at himself. He could feel the razor embedded in his back, and in his lung. He could feel the blood pouring in, drowning him!

He reached behind him and felt the cool silver of his precious friend. With a grunt, he pulled it out, and stared at it in fascination, feeling himself grow faint. He was dying, and he knew it.

Evy watched in horror. She'd done it! She'd killed him! But he was still alive! She watched (without watching) as he pulled the razor out and admired its blood-tainted blade. With shock, she watched as he rose towards her. "Lu…I'm…s…Lu…cy," Sweeney hissed, trying to form words through gritted teeth.

_**Don't close your eyes (God knows what lies behind them)**_

_**Don't turn out the lights (never sleep, never die)**_

And so the Demon Barber of Fleet Street died yet for a second time.

Evy watched as he fell to the ground, killed by his own razor, a pool of crimson surrounding.

She saw without seeing, and walked (without walking) towards the body. She let her hand grab the razor of its own free will before turning away. _I did it for you, Holly,_ she vaguely thought as she walked into the still-storming night. _It was all for you._

_**Servatis a paraculum**_

_**Servatis a maledicum**_

**There you have it! You've reached the end of this (wonderful) story! Now that you're here, how about a review? Please?**


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